A recent survey found that roughly 50% of Americans will either get takeout or dine in at a restaurant this Thanksgiving, and staff at the Norman restaurant in Los Alamos say they are expecting a packed house for the holiday.
Preparing and enjoying a Thanksgiving meal at home is a tradition many people in the community look forward to every year, including Marjorie Barney.
“Everyone contributes to our Thanksgiving, and it is just a special time of being together, not in a public place but in our family home,” said Marjorie Barney, who is visiting the Central Coast from Utah for the holiday.
Natalia Serna from Santa Maria agrees that family is a major part of it.
“I really think it just brings in that special feeling of coming together and preparing something for everyone,” Serna added. “I think that is the whole part of the holiday — spending time with your family.”
But for the Norman restaurant at the iconic Skyview Motel off Highway 135, General Manager John Smith says they've already had more than 100 Thanksgiving Day dinner reservations.
“Chef Dustin is awesome. Him and his team get here around 6:30-7 in the morning. If you have asked anyone else who has prepared Thanksgiving dinner for that day, they are up around that time, ovens are already going,” he told KSBY.
On Thursday, the Norman will serve brunch from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., as well as a special Thanksgiving dinner from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. He says the restaurant is open for most major holidays, adding that some of their returning customers have made dining at the Norman an annual tradition of their own.
“There are half the people that love the holidays — ‘Oh my gosh, this is the best thing ever!’ Other days, it is pretty stressful for people,” he said. “So, if we are able to take a little piece off for them, and they are able to sit down, relax and enjoy their family, not having to do that hard work that we are more than happy to do, then we are more than happy to do it.”
Barney and Serna say they enjoy the holiday stress of preparing a home-cooked meal.
“I don’t mind spending days and days making sure my gluten-free family can eat and just making sure it is extra special for everyone,” Barney said.
“A lot of times, my parents are working, or I am doing sports, doing school, my little sister is doing her hobbies. I feel like it is just nice to reconnect once in a while and have that special time,” Serna explained. “That is what I am looking forward to.”
Smith says his staff at the Norman started planning for Thanksgiving more than two months in advance.
According to the recent survey by Popmenu, many of the people who said they would be eating out cited price, convenience, and preference for professionally cooked food as the reasons why.
