As people throughout the Central Coast prepare for their Thanksgiving meal, travel restrictions are making many, including local restaurants and other eateries, adjust their meal plans.
“We’ve been through a lot in the restaurant business in the last nine months, so business is business and we’re grateful for it," said Crumbles Cafe and Bake Shop manager Missy Ortega.
Ortega says she expects Thanksgiving Day to be extremely busy. Her Santa Maria shop is only doing day-of orders, so people will have to place their orders Thursday before picking them up.
She says in just two days, roughly 1,300 pies will be sold.
Crumbles Cafe and Bake Shop is among many businesses adapting on the fly, including Central Coast landmarks like the Madonna Inn.
“This is the first year we’ve done to-go orders, so we have close to 400 to-go orders going out on Thanksgiving Day, which is really exciting, so we’ve had to transform our back loading dock into a pick-up area,” said Madonna Inn marketing manager Amanda Rich.
With Thanksgiving typically being centered around family and tradition, many people on the Central Coast are having to adapt on the fly as well, with COVID-19 restrictions making it tougher to have large gatherings this year.
Rich says her place, fortunately, fits those needs.
“I definitely think people are wanting so badly to keep their family traditions,” she says.
Ortega says, “Some people are going into it like, ‘We’ve had enough taken away from us, we’re gonna celebrate our Thanksgiving,’ but then I do feel like there’s a good amount of people that are also gonna stay home, and that’s where the to-go orders are going to come in. We’ll get through it, we’re happy to do it.”
