Some Starkville restaurants planning to stay open for Egg Bowl

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Thanksgiving. A day for family, food, and football.

And that love for the game has some restaurants in Starkville changing their holiday plans.

For the past few years, Thanksgiving and the Egg Bowl have been connected, causing local restaurants to change up their game.

“If we’re playing at home on Thanksgiving, we’re going to be open there’s no way I’m gonna close the restaurant with all our fans coming in. And you know, we’re very connected to the program to Bulldogs, you know, we bleed maroon and white, so we’re going to take care of people and serve them some Turkey and dressing,” said owner of the Veranda, Jay Yates.

Some restaurants are taking their regular menu and changing it up.

“It’s a different menu, so it’s Turkey and dressing and all the fixings, that’s the only thing we’ll be serving tomorrow we will not have our regular menu out at all. So we’ve been preparing the dressing, the turkeys ready, the casseroles, the desserts, the cobblers and all that kind of stuff. So we’ll be ready. Loaded for bear tomorrow,” said Yates.

While other restaurants are keeping it a little less traditional.

“We’re running all of our usual or Thursday specials. We also are doing our buy one get one pizzas, if you order to go, you can have any pizza any size two for the price of one,” said Jake Mardis.

When fans come to town, crowds are expected, but Thanksgiving can bring bigger groups to gather around the table.

“We have all the big tables, and so we’re just we’re, you know, we’re set up to really get people in and out because they’re, you know, they’re going to have these big groups and you know, 8 15 16 big families obviously for Thanksgiving,” said Yates.

“We’re expecting a lot of people in town. Obviously, we’re gonna have a lot of football fans, and what better way to celebrate the game to come get you some pizza and wings,” said Mardis.