Some Valley restaurants stay open to serve community on Thanksgiving

VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- While galore buying halfway parking tons on Mooney Boulevard successful Visalia were bare this Thanksgiving, it was hard to find a spot astatine Black Bear Diner.

General manager Robert Velazquez says he's worked the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays for the past 40 years, and it's their busiest time.

"Some radical don't person immoderate families oregon nothing, truthful they travel present and we are their household due to the fact that we're a household eating restaurant, and immoderate radical bring each their family, truthful we bash parties of 20 oregon 30," helium said.

Their constricted paper for the peculiar time is filled with thanksgiving staples -- turkey, corn, mashed potatoes and gravy.

It's thing Ruth, who visited the diner with her youngest son, is grateful for.

"Especially for older folks similar maine who can't basal connected their feet and navigator anymore, truthful we travel and we person a spot to spell to," she said.

She besides ordered a repast to spell for her different son, who is battling Valley Fever.

"He's successful the hospital, and I'm going to effort to sneak that in," she said.

It's lukewarm meals and memories for Araceli Villarreal's family.

Breakfast astatine the diner has been a contented for 3 years. It's their Thanksgiving solemnisation since lone fractional her household is local.

"Today's truly peculiar due to the fact that I'm disconnected to college," she said. "I americium astatine UCSD, truthful coming backmost location to my family, seeing each of my small cousins and conscionable keeping the contented live is truly sweet."

Outback besides prepares repast boxes to-go for families of 10 oregon more.

This year, implicit 87 families picked up their Thanksgiving dinner.

Robert says they couldn't bash it without the assistance of their employees, who gave up portion of their vacation to service the community.

"I'm precise arrogant of them," helium said. "Without them, I wouldn't beryllium capable to bash immoderate of this. It takes everyone I got."

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