Take-home Thanksgiving turkeys gaining popularity
Thanksgiving is just a week away, and that means friends, family and food.
If you’re looking forward to eating a big Thanksgiving meal this year but don’t feel like cooking, you don’t have to. Many restaurants in Ottawa are offering take home turkey dinners, including Chances R.
“For us it’s huge. It’s probably one of the busiest weekends of the year,” says owner Mike Bouris. “We’ll do about 1,200 turkey meals. Over Christmas we do it as the whole turkey, but over Thanksgiving we sell it on an individual basis.
Selling out of these meals is quite common every year.
“Traditionally it’s been dine-in,” says Bouris. “So instead of everyone coming to the house and having dishes and all that, they come and dine in. Definitely more takeout now, so that’s a new thing for us, trying to balance the two. Filling the restaurant, plus also doing a couple hundred takeout meals in the same night.”
“I think it’s a great idea,” says Kathy who was on her way in for lunch at Chances R. “Myself, it’s just my husband and I. We don’t want to cook a great big dinner. This sounds like a fantastic idea.”
The ready-made, take-home Thanksgiving meal has become popular over the last few years with families looking to save time.
“Turkeys are 12 per cent more expensive than last year,” says Sylvain Charlebois, the director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. “Why not look at buying a turkey already cooked in advance? Save the energy, save the time, save the grief.”
A lot of places have already sold out, or stopped taking orders, but at Fitz's Classic Grill, they say they will take as many orders as possible until Friday night.
“We have one for two people. We have one for four people,” says co-owner Donna Reid. “Because of COVID, people are at smaller numbers and they don’t want to go though all the hassle of preparing that meal. Because with all the trimmings it could be costly.”
They say the convenience of their pre-cooked meal is something their customers look forward to every year.
“The community really appreciates it,” says Reid. “Especially even if you’re just a person of one, a person of two. People don’t want to spend that time cooking that dinner. Taking the whole time in their day to prepare it.”
For those who are still undecided, don’t wait too long, these birds are going fast.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Calgary woman stranded in Mexico after husband's death during diving trip
A Calgary woman is struggling to return home after her husband died while diving in Mexico, leaving her stranded and facing financial hardship.
Fugitive U.S. rioter seeks asylum in Whistler amid warnings of more to come
An American citizen convicted of participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on Capitol Hill and dodging jail time in Whistler may just be the start of an asylum-seeking rush, according to a prominent legal expert.
Special national Liberal caucus meeting called for next week after regional chairs meet: sources
A special meeting of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's national Liberal caucus has been called for next Wednesday, sources say.
N.S. community shocked by deaths of father, daughter; suspect was wanted in Toronto shooting
A Nova Scotia community is mourning the loss of two of its members after they were shot and killed in Halifax on New Year's Eve.
Canada pausing applications for parent, grandparent permanent residency sponsorships
Canada will not accept new parent and grandparent permanent residency sponsorship applications until further notice, according to a ministerial directive.
Soldier who blew up Tesla at Trump hotel left note saying blast was to be a 'wakeup call' for the U.S.
A highly decorated Army soldier who fatally shot himself in a Tesla Cybertruck just before it blew up outside the Trump hotel in Las Vegas left notes saying the New Year's Day explosion was a stunt to serve as a “wakeup call” for the country’s ills, investigators said Friday.
Sea and Himalayan salts recalled in Canada: 'Do not use, serve or distribute'
Two brands of sea and Himalayan salt are being recalled in Canada due to pieces of plastic found in the products.
'Inadmissible' foreign nationals to pay more upon return to Canada: CBSA
Foreign nationals who refuse or are unable to pay their own way home after being denied stay in Canada will soon face steeper financial penalties should they ever attempt to return.
'It's about time': Experts in Canada support call for warnings about cancer risk from alcohol
While Canada hasn't mandated cancer warnings for alcoholic beverages, a few experts are supporting a new push in the U.S. to have the labels on the products.