With family gatherings canceled more than ever this Thanksgiving, more Bostonians may turn to carry-out restaurant meals for their Thanksgiving feast.
Shawn Wilson, CEO of Viga Ventures, a restaurant group that owns Viga Italian Eatery and Shed’s BBQ in Downtown Boston, said these restaurants have seen less than one-fifth of their usual Thanksgiving-season business. The majority of that business has come from corporate employees downtown.
“In general, more people are picking up and taking things home,” Wilson said. “People aren’t going to restaurants, and probably, sometimes it’s easier to get it from someone than to make a big meal, especially since gatherings are a lot smaller this year.”
Wilson said businesses would order large trays of Thanksgiving favorites such as smoked turkey for holiday parties in the past. This year, turkey is portioned into one compartmentalized container with side dishes for safe, solitary consumption.
“In the past, they would have a Thanksgiving celebration, and everyone would eat together,” said Wilson. “Now everybody’s having to do it individually just to meet the CDC requirements.”
Boston restaurants anticipate an increase in take-out and delivery orders this holiday, Wilson said.
She added that her restaurants have tried to “streamline” their menus — reducing some sections and adding options in preparation for Thanksgiving traffic. Her restaurants will offer family meals to serve at home for the first time.
Across the city in Allston, Joe Rastellini, owner of T. Anthony’s Pizzeria, said he’s seen an increase in larger delivery orders, but in-person traffic has stayed down since the start of the semester.
“Pick-up and delivery, maybe there’s a 50 percent increase in that,” Rastellini said. “But that doesn’t make up for the loss of all the other stuff in your normal business.”
Rastellini added that the restaurant’s catering service is down by 90 percent, because the lack of large gatherings translates to a corresponding lack of demand.
Traditionally sit-down restaurants, however, have been more greatly “devastated” than his pizzeria, Rastellini said. But he expects more people to pick up Thanksgiving meals at the supermarket or restaurants this year because of canceled gatherings.
“A lot of people do go out and eat for Thanksgiving at sit-down restaurants,” Rastellini said, “but I think they’re going to be afraid.”
Pandemic aside, this time of year is typically quieter for T. Anthony’s and other restaurants near Boston University, Rastellini said, as students return home for the holidays.
“For Thanksgiving, everybody goes home as a rule, so everyone wasn’t even here in the first place,” Rastellini said. “A lot of them aren’t going to come back for Christmas.”
Rastellini said T. Anthony’s will be closed on Thanksgiving and will open back up on Black Friday.
