Turkey to go: B.C. restaurants offer takeout Thanksgiving dinners amid COVID-19

Thanksgiving at Irish Heather is usually a bustling event.

The Vancouver gastropub is well known for its “long table dinners,” a series of dining events it extends to Thanksgiving when it hosts a pair of meals, each feeding more than 100 diners.

This year, with COVID-19 restrictions in effect, the Heather is among dozens of B.C. restaurants getting creative and offering Thanksgiving dinner as a takeout option.

“Obviously, any revenue stream coming in is a bonus and a benefit to us right now, we’re happy to get anything coming in,” said Sean Heather, owner of Irish Heather.

“Thanksgiving is a great opportunity for us to reach out to people and help give them an opportunity to support us while of course feeding them — and that’s what we’re here to do.”

3:11 Health Matters: Tips for a safe Thanksgiving

The Irish Heather offered the takeout turkey dinners by pre-order only, and by Saturday had already sold out.

The Heather is not the only Vancouver eatery to see its takeout turkey option sell out quickly. Belgarde Kitchen, Forage Vancouver, Torafuku and Fable Diner are among other well-known restaurants where demand has outstripped supply.

Ian Tostenson, president of BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association, called the takeout option a win-win solution.

The program helps restaurants maintain badly needed cash flow, he said, while offering people a traditional meal if they skip the big family gathering, as health officials have advised.

“Patio season is over. They’re operating at about 60 per cent capacity,” he said. “This is their response to both COVID and preventing people from having to go out and shop and buy turkeys and that kind of stuff, because (provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry) has said, let’s keep it small.”

“We’re hearing a lot of restaurants are having great success with it.”

While many restaurants have already hit their cap on Thanksgiving takeout, Tostenson said he’s aware of many more that either still have capacity, or are offering dine-in options for people comfortable leaving their homes.

“Just go online and type in ‘Thanksgiving dinner B.C. restaurants,'” he said.