WDBJ7 Roanoke News and Weather NRV Lynchburg Danville | Does a tough economy mean less Thanksgiving?

Does a tough economy mean less Thanksgiving?

It may sound cliche but if you are healthy and have a job, you have plenty to be thankful this Thanksgiving.

It got us thinking are people cutting back this year because of the recession? Here at the Roanoker restaurant, the owner was sweating it.

She feared business would be way down this Thanksgiving because of the economy but she's breathing a sigh of relief.

"Yes we are. We are breathing a sigh of relief. We think we are going to do okay," says Butch Craft with the Roanoke Restaurant.

Judging by the amount of phone calls, she expects an increase in the amount of people eating at the restaurant on Thanksgiving.

However, she admits sales of prepared Thanksgiving meals are down about five percent.

She expects to break even this Thanksgiving.

"This year has not been great to this point and we were very careful not to order too many things because we didn't know how much we were going to need," says Craft.

At the Crossroads K&W Cafeteria, managers believe business will be about the same from last year.

That includes its dining in service and take out orders.

In fact, K&W will prepare a record 1,500 pounds of Turkey.

"Traditionally, as cafeterias go, the worse economy the better our business because we are the best value for your dollar for eating out," says K&W Cafeteria manager Roger Hartman.

You might expect those places to do well because they are so cheap it will cost you less than $10 per person, but what about a place like the Hotel Roanoke where they charge $34.95 a person. Are they seeing a hit because of the economy.

"Actually, further ahead this year than we have ever been before," says Phil Davis with the Roanoke Hotel.

The Hotel Roanoke expects to serve Thanksgiving dinner for 1,400 people this year, that's up significantly.

Extra seatings had to be added and the hotel is no longer taking reservations.

Management can only guess why it's seeing a record number of people.

"People are tired of going ahead and conserving and this is a holiday. They're going to go ahead and enjoy it," says Davis.

It's proof many plan to spend and splurge despite the economy.

Roanoker Restaurant will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thanksgiving dinner is $9.99 per person. It's first come, first served, no reservations. They are no longer taking orders for whole turkeys. However, sides are still available. Call 344-7746 for more information.

Crossroads K&W Cafeteria will be serving Thanksgiving dinner from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. It costs $6.49 per person. No Reservations are needed. You can also buy prepared meals for $49.99 and $99.99. Call 563-4977 for more information.

Hotel Roanoke will be serving a Thanksgiving buffet from 11 AM to 8 PM for $34.95 per person. It is completely sold out. They are no longer taken reservations. They recommend you reserve for Christmas as soon as possible because reservations are already up from last year.