Harlan A. Hagberg, 93, an historic fixture himself on Historic Route 6 in Davenport, Iowa, and later a resident of Brandon, Florida, passed away on May 21, 2018. He was a WW2 veteran of the Marine Corps, and a fixture in the Iowa-llinois Quad-City area restaurant business for many years.
It was the early 1950s when he bought the Triangle Truck Port in Davenport. He later changed the name of the restaurant to HARLAN'S Fine Food, coining the phrase on the menus “Everyone eats at Harlan's.” The iconic image of Historic Highway 6 jammed with semis and traffic during a massive Iowa blizzard, with Harlan's Fine Food a safe haven for the weary and hungry traveler, was incorporated into the restaurant's menu.
He and his wife Shirley ran the restaurant in Davenport until the early 1980s, turning over the business to Harlan's son, Jeff. Harlan and Shirley relocated to Brandon, Florida to retire.
Harlan's Fine Food Restaurant is still open for business, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily from 6:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. at 3905 Hickory Grove Rd. in Davenport.
Harlan's Facebook page touts: "Since November 23, 1953, real home cooked meals at a reasonable price has always been the Harlan’s philosophy for every meal of the day!"
A celebration of Harlan Hagberg's life will be scheduled later this summer. Thank you, Harlan, for your service to our country, and to providing us with a spot on Historic Route 6 to fill our coffee cups, visit with our neighbors, enjoy fine food and memories.
To read the full Quad City Times obituary, click HERE.
To purchase the award-winning and Emmy-nominated River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6, visit http://www.fourthwallfilms.com/dvds.htm.
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