TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Parking lots at restaurants that are open this holiday are packed with people who opted out of cooking at home.
"I don't mind cooking but with all the kids gone and family gone, we're the only ones here and so it just makes it easier," said Lee Wingfield.
Lee and Laurie Wingfield are some of the many people who are dining out on Thanksgiving this year.
They decided to visit Kacey's Home Style Cooking Buffet, not because it's one of the handful of restaurants open for business on Thanksgiving, but because they've been doing it for 5 years now.
"It actually became a tradition since all of our children have moved away and so we come here and join the waitresses and the cooks here to celebrate Thanksgiving," said Laurie.
Kacey's Buffet's parking lot was full of people like the Wingfield's looking for a home cooked meal, including Chris Massey and her husband.
She said they planned on making a traditional Thanksgiving meal at home, but once she found out her family couldn't travel anymore, they decided to eat out instead.
"It's just me and my husband and instead of worrying about prepping for a big, large meal, we're going to come out here and relax and eat some good food," said Massey.
Relaxing and having good food is the goal of Aaru's Indo-Chinese and South Indian Cuisine.
They're offering a large buffet for people who are looking to enjoy an untraditional Thanksgiving meal on Thursday and Black Friday.
Manager Willburne Sebyezust doesn't mind working to make sure everyone has a nice meal for the holiday. "We want everyone to feel like that day is a special day for everyone, so we make the dish and everything and all the stuff for whoever is over here."
Many restaurants that were open Thursday were full or were booked out before opening their doors.
