Thanksgiving 2020
It seems astounding that we are ready to have this conversation again, but late last week, we opened our ordering for Thanksgiving pies. Gulp.
This will be our SEVENTH Thanksgiving - our first being a small scale 300 pie experience out of the Elks Lodge commercial kitchen way back in 2013 when we were young and fresh. And last year, we did just around 2,200 pies at PJP Nifong over the three days leading to Thanksgiving. Here’s a few most commonly asked questions about Thanksgiving at PJP:
How will Thanksgiving at PJP Nifong be different this year since we are in a global pandemic? Well, for the most part, the process won’t really change. Our goal has always been to have pie pickup be a seamless and quick process without long wait times or crowds of people congregating. (We lived that life in our first Thanksgiving at PJP Buttonwood in our 2014 Thanksgiving and it was a LEGITIMATE NIGHTMARE, so pandemic aside…no thanks.) BUT, to make sure we adhere to all local ordinances, we plan to station a Team PJP member at the door to keep count of how many customers are in the store at a given time. Of course, we are always happy to bring your pie order to your car with curbside pickup if you prefer to not come into the store.
How many pies are you going to make? Good question. We will take orders until the numbers make us break into a cold sweat and that’s when we know to close the orders. Historically, that is around November 10th.
Can I walk into PJP on the day before Thanksgiving and buy a pie? GOALS. It sounds lovely, doesn’t it? In a perfect pie baking world, you would waltz in and find stacks of fresh pumpkin, pecan, and apple pies for purchase. But since we live in a real world with real humans baking pies from scratch, I’m going to STRONGLY SUGGEST you pre-order your pies for pickup on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday of Thanksgiving week. We will sell any extras we have available, but make no guarantees.
Wait, what about pies for the Friday after Thanksgiving? In long standing PJP tradition, we close on Thursday and Friday of Thanksgiving week. We reopen on Saturday to celebrate Small Business Saturday with our full menu and a stocked store. It’s like you wouldn’t know that just a few days prior we baked thousands of pies, minus our whisking elbows and the dark circles under our eyes.
Can I order 10 tarts, eight Jelly Jar pies, and a 12-inch gooseberry pie for that Wednesday? For Thanksgiving orders, we only offer pies in the nine-inch size (that’s six to eight slices, depending on how generously you slice it). This helps us be as efficient as possible and work as quickly as possible to make as many pies as possible.
How Do You Feel About It All? Terrified. I’ve seen PJP at her best and her worst at Thanksgiving, so I take nothing for granted. That said, we are a crew that responds well to demand and deadlines, so I have zero doubts we will excel.
So what can I order? We curated the list to our top sellers and here it is: Brown Butter Chess, Caramel Apple, Cherry Crumb, Chocolate Bourbon Pecan, Dutch Apple, French Silk, German Chocolate, Pumpkin, Gluten Free Pumpkin, Southern Pecan, Gluten Free Southern Pecan, White Chocolate Strawberry, Chicken Pot Pie, and Bacon Cheddar Quiche.
Pot Pie? Quiche? That’s new on the list, right? Yes. Chicken Pot Pie is actually our top selling item this year and quiche isn’t far behind, so we couldn’t ignore that when compiling the Thanksgiving list. Plus you’ll thank yourself when you don’t feel like cooking again over the long holiday weekend and either is tucked away in your freezer.
Also, gluten free? We have heard your cries, and we have responded. TWO gluten free options for Thanksgiving this year.
Excellent. How do I order? Right HERE.