26/11/2025
This time of year, always brings up memories for me.
Thanksgiving Day was the Superbowl for us at the Tea Room.
Our busiest day of the year.
It was a time that made me feel like an MVP.
Months of planning. There was not one day of cooking but weeks. Weeks of prep and planning, everything riding on the reservations.
If the people didn’t come it would all be for nothing.
Mom and I had to pray we got the numbers we needed, then we had to pray the day would go good, smooth. If the customers didn’t come just the right way or leave the right way, our day would be sunk. It was a recipe that took a little bit of this and a little bit of that, one that us, the cooks knew when it was just right, just by looking at it but no one else knew how to make it.
We would be praying that nothing would happen, because it always did. Always. The grease trap would overflow. The freezer would all of a sudden be on the blink. Our oven, Bertha, would stop working. The delivery drivers would not bring what we needed to make our dishes. Off to the store we would go, only to have to go to multiple stores cause everyone else needed whatever it was we needed.
There was never enough help, we would beg and beg everyone we knew. Or people that other people knew. It was never ending, the stress and worry, to pull off that one Thanksgiving buffet.
When it all came together, and it always did, it was amazing. To have a line out the door. Seeing all our customers on Thanksgiving. The tables being full, if everything worked out the way we hoped it would. Mom and Rafa would be working together to make sure the buffet looked good and was fully stocked. Which is a very hard job. I would always walk by and see something out and tell Mom only to find out Rafa was already on it. Annoying my husband was just a perk of the day.
The dishwashers would be behind all day, or they would get these lulls where they could catch a break just long enough to take out the trash, if Jodi was working she would grab a smoke. There was either too much ice or not enough.
We would turn tables, fill the buffet, wipe down the buffet, the dishes would be endless. We would all work as hard as we could, working together to accomplish the goal, take care of the guests. The last seating was always like the last few minutes of a football game, the score would be the final count of customers Miss Sheri was kinda keeping all day long, and we would all cheer when the last customers were gone. The door would be locked, and we would all sigh a sigh of relief we had made it through another Thanksgiving Buffet.
Everyone that worked, and our family members would all sit down to celebrate making it though the day and finally getting to celebrate our Thanksgiving. I would bring out the dishes that mom and I had made especially for ourselves, we would gather napkins, paper towels, drinks, silverware; would be thrown on the table to grab quickly, we didn’t need rollups, that was just something else we had to do before we left. This was our time to recap the day. Laugh at whatever crazy things had happened. Who forgot what. Miss Sheri would fill us in on what the customers would tell her while they would check out. I would pray that everyone wasn’t too tired to clean everything up good enough so I wouldn’t make them mop the floor for a third time before they left. Sheri would hope the till would balance and I would too. Mom would survey the food that was left or not left. Figure out who was taking leftovers home.
By this time of the day, the light came in the front door in a way that would make the Tea Room look so warm and inviting. It also highlighted all the dirt and grime that Rafa swore he mopped up. He would get so mad at me.
After everyone would leave and mom was done in the kitchen, she and I would fill up that mop bucket one last time, we would talk about the day. What we did successfully and what we needed to change before the next big buffet. Mom and I would talk and mop, looking around to see what needed to still be done. We would dump out the dirty mop bucket, check that the doors were all locked for a 100th time and we would hug and go on home.
The sun would be starting to set, it was always so pretty on Main Street. We would always be the only people on the street. Looking down the desolate Main Street, which a few hours ago was filled with our customers cars. The day was a success I would feel so proud in our accomplishments. Then I would be praying that only positive reviews would come in. But for a few minutes there was nothing but an overwhelming since of gratitude, thanks for that day. For our bodies being able to do the work, for our families who had to wait to spend time with us and our coworkers, for the customers who came.
Thanksgiving Day was filled with “Thanksgiving customer’s”, customer’s that we would see once a year. I was so happy to see them every year but a part of me always tried to hid my frustration, that these customers would only come once a year.
Being a small business is tuff, it is a struggle every day of the year to stay busy, not just once a year. I want to encourage you, that if you have a favorite small business to support them. As often as you can. Especially small restaurants. The restaurant industry is super hard and the work is hard so please be kind if you are going out on Thanksgiving.
This year, Lucca is two and a half, he won’t eat most of the yummy food we make but I am super grateful for the time to spend with him and our family. Being able to do what we did all those years was amazing, and being at home now is amazing in a different way. I am thankful for all the experience. Waiting on hundreds of people was still way easier than dealing with one toddler, go figure. Who would have known.
December is almost here, and that means get togeher's. You know what is great at parties and events? Quiches. Pumpkin Apple Muffins. Bread. Desserts. Pumpkin Apple Muffins. I will be busy taking orders in the month of December. Place your orders now. I will be making a monthly calendar with items for sale, if you have something you would like me to make, text me. 816-914-5765 Menus to be posted soon.
Happy Thanksgiving Eve everyone.
Do like my guy Dave Matthews says, " I eat too much, I drink too much, I want too much".
