SCRANTON, Pa. — A bakery in Lackawanna County is still seeing an uptick in business for Thanksgiving, despite many planning smaller gatherings.
The pandemic has taken a toll on many small businesses, and Minooka Pastry, which specializes in party platters and centerpieces, is no exception.
"Parties are smaller, so all the items are smaller. We have a similar amount, but the items overall are smaller. Cakes are smaller. Platters are smaller," explained Bob Zakreski, the owner of Minooka Pastry.
But even with state health officials calling for smaller holiday celebrations, Thanksgiving orders placed for pickup have already matched their sales from last year.
"Maybe about 2,000 orders," Zakreski said.
Because orders ahead of the holiday were unaffected by the pandemic, the owner tells us he still plans to up staff come Thursday. Foot traffic usually accounts for about 30 percent of their holiday sales.
"Our biggest concern is just having too many people in the building, so bringing in more people to help take care of them, get them in and out quickly, so that we don't have a buildup of crowds."
The big sellers this year are the staples — pumpkin pie, apple pie, chocolate pie, and pumpkin rolls — traditions they're glad to provide during the pandemic.
"They've got something to hold on to, some traditions. It kind of makes all the craziness a little bit better."
The tradition of supporting local is still alive and well in Minooka this holiday season.