Christmas takeout booms as more Central Oregonians plan to celebrate at home

'It's cool to feel like you're making their holiday -- it's been great'

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- This pandemic-affected holiday season has made for very different, yet busy times at Central Oregon restaurants offering takeout.

Betsy McDonald with the Lemon Tree said Wednesday she’s having a hard time keeping up with the number of phone calls coming in.

McDonald explained that for her business, this has been the busiest Christmas for takeout orders.

“We had a great Thanksgiving takeout, and Christmas has been about double that business,” she said.

McDonald said she's gotten calls from people who have no idea what to do as for holiday cooking, especially those who usually go to large gatherings but are now celebrating alone.

“So they're like, 'Oh, my God -- we don’t have anything.' So we’ve been having fun, doing some really fun custom orders for people. It’s cool to feel like you’re making their holiday -- it’s been great.” 

She said some are using the holidays to venture into new spaces, with large orders for crab cakes, salmon -- even quiche. 

 “One lady said, 'I have never ever ordered takeout. I cook thanksgiving dinner, I cook Christmas dinner , but it just feels different this year,'" McDonald recalled

At 900 Wall, holiday takeout also has the phone ringing.

Chris Layden with the restaurant said while they aren’t getting direct feedback, they are extremely busy.

“The sheer amount of volume that we’ve seen, the influx in take-out and to-go Christmas meals -- you know, our Thanksgiving to go was a huge success for us," he said.

Layden said he’s thankful to be doing business in an uncertain time.

"We're glad to take whatever we can get, at this point," he said. "We're here day in and day out to bring the food to the community, and were glad that people show up for it."