'Thanksgiving To Go': Americans splash out on takeaways - BBC News

So this year the artist is skipping cooking altogether, opting instead for a takeaway Thanksgiving meal.

As officials warn against travel and in some places bar gatherings of more than 10 people due to the pandemic, the limits have raised questions about the impact on Thanksgiving, normally one of the biggest holidays in the US and a generator of billions of dollars in travel and food sales.

Among poultry producers, the likelihood that smaller gatherings this year could loosen loyalty to the traditional turkey dinner has raised fears of a surplus of the fowl, especially of larger birds.

The restaurant is shut this year too, but families can pick up a Thanksgiving spread the day before, which draws on memories of what owner Beverly Kim's mother cooked for the celebration, with dishes like crab meat gratin and parsley and butter Korean rice.

Less than 10% of Americans typically eat Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant, according to polls by the National Restaurant Association.

But this year, what is usually a quiet day for the industry has already generated millions of dollars in sales, says Bryan Ferschinger, marketing chief at Tock, a restaurant reservation system that has morphed into an online order platform during the pandemic.

Restaurants have gotten creative this year as they strive to make the best of the situation by offering a range of Thanksgiving dinner options for carryout and delivery.".

It's too soon to say how sales will compare with last year, but specialty shops and grocery stores have also reported boosting their meal kits and ready-to-eat options, betting that people tired of Covid cooking will seek out convenience - if only for parts of the meal - to celebrate.

But Mr Kapur, who opened the restaurant in 2015, is not quite celebrating.

His dining room remains closed and sales this year are at about 20% of what they were, he estimates.

The industry's woes were on Lindsey O'Connor's mind as she considered her Thanksgiving options this year.

Lindsey plans to make her grandmother's dinner rolls, as she does every year, but the decision to outsource the rest of the cooking was deliberate - a way to make the holiday not only special and less stressful, but also to support the local restaurant scene.

"I find it in some strange way a way to give back and ensure that other people can have a Thanksgiving meal themselves."?

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