Recent studies show more people are choosing to dine out on Thanksgiving rather than cook at home, with restaurant reservations up 13% this year compared to last, according to data from OpenTable.
The trend was evident across the Lakeshore area, where dining rooms were packed with families choosing to celebrate Thanksgiving outside their homes.
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At Our Legacy Restaurant in Manitowoc and Rita's Supper Club in Two Rivers, families gathered for traditional holiday meals without the hassle of cooking and cleanup.
For some diners, eating out on Thanksgiving has become a decades-long tradition. Chuck Smoker and his wife have been dining out for the holiday since moving to Two Rivers in 1980.
"My wife and I have been coming here since we moved to Two Rivers back in 1980. It became a kind of habit," Smoker said.
The tradition has evolved over the years for the couple.
"I do the cooking with the check book or the credit card. I like the traditional turkey but I know Rita did prime rib so I'm probably gonna lean toward the rib meat," Smoker said.
For Chuck and his wife, dining out offers benefits beyond just the meal itself.
"When we were a little younger we did stuff at home ... but this is a nice alternative for us. We can come out, get a nice meal, get a cocktail, talk with some friends, and she doesn't have to clean up after me," Smoker said.
Rita Beqrir, owner of Rita's Supper Club, said she hadn't originally planned to open on Thanksgiving but decided to serve customers who had nowhere else to go.
"A lot of my regulars, they had nowhere to go and they're like 'are you open?'" Beqrir said.
The restaurant prepared extensively for the holiday crowd.
"We cooked about 24 turkeys. My parents were here, we just had fun in the kitchen cooking turkeys," Beqrir said.
At Our Legacy Restaurant in Manitowoc, owner Amy Smith and her family prepared a full holiday spread under the theme "families giving to families."
"We got turkey, we got ham, we have the family favorite of pork and krout and all the additional fixings ... I think that it's great to be here for the families and provide a home cooked meal," Smith said.
Restaurant owners reported seeing new customers, indicating that celebrating outside the home is attracting families who didn't traditionally dine out for holidays.
Diners across the Lakeshore said enjoying the Thanksgiving meal without the cooking and cleaning made the holiday easier while remaining just as special.
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