Thanksgiving is Thursday, and apparently 67% of Thanksgiving Day meals occur at the eaters home. The other 33% of meals occur at a relative or friends house, restaurant or non-commercials foodservice outlet, like a long term care home, per the NPD group. Just 5% say they will have their Thanksgiving Day meal at a restaurant this year.
Those preparing the meal at home, 33% say the meal’s entrees are entirely homemade and 9% are partially homemade. Some get help from ready-to-eat meals they prepared before the holiday or from a retail, foodservice or restaurant. 31% are from from restaurants or retail places.
“Both grocers and foodservice play a key role in making the Thanksgiving Day celebration happen, whether on the day or the day before,” says David Portalatin, NPD food industry advisor and author of Eating Patterns in America. “But the real heroes of the day are the hosts, cooks, and helpers who make a dream come true.”