The Wishing Well Restaurant of Saratoga Springs, NY is opening its famous front door, flanked by iconic jockey with lantern, for a traditional Thanksgiving feast!

Under ordinary times, the 55-year-old family owned landmark would be in a crowded field.

During these extraordinary times, when measures and counter measures have been issued by government in response to the national health emergency, the ability to be able to offer dinner at all on what has traditionally been The Wishing Well’s busiest day, is a feat in and of itself.

Bob Lee, owner of The Wishing Well for 20 years of its historic 55-year run, tells Boxerbrand blog Recipe for Success, that though capacity is greatly scaled back to ensure compliance with social-distancing regulations, the feast is expected to be as amazing as it is every year.

BB: Please tell me about The Wishing Well’s Thanksgiving plans.

WW: Thanksgiving is traditionally our busiest day of the year. Last year we fed 650 people over the course of the day. This year we have capped in-house dining to 250 people over the course of six hours. And we hope to compliment that with a robust takeout business offering all of our best-loved menu items. We’re serving dinner indoors from 12 to 6 p.m., and takeout will be available from 12 to 5 p.m.

BB: From a business standpoint, how are you approaching this season?

WW: We are looking at this year’s Thanksgiving venture as an investment in next year’s Thanksgiving. We are fortunate that we have such a large interior space that creating a dining experience with the required social-distancing has not been an issue for us.

BB: What menu items have your guests been looking for during these times?

WW: That hasn’t changed. Our guests continue to look for the prime steaks, fresh seafood, and good service that has been part of our brand for all these years. For Thanksgiving this year, as with past, we’re offering our roast turkey with cornbread stuffing, gravy and cranberry, our fresh Atlantic salmon with fennel arugula, our Angus roast prime rib, as well as children’s menu.

BB: Overall, how has The Wishing Well survived the Coronavirus measures?

WW: We’ve been very conservative in our approach to every new milestone. As soon as we were permitted by the state of New York to offer outdoor dining, we created a space outdoors with a tent, and offered 24 seats. When we were allowed to resume limited indoor dining, we enacted all the social distancing and safeguards to ensure our guests would feel comfortable and safe. Having outdoor space and reduced indoor capacity has allowed us to keep our guests safe and ensure the continuation of The Wishing Well brand. — We hope The Wishing Well has a great Thanksgiving. The Wishing Well uses Boxerbrand’s Ostrich Baby line in its table presentation. Thank you!