Jean's Beans is a local take-out restaurant here in Watertown, which specializes in all things seafood. However, with all that's going on in the world with COVID-19, and family gatherings this Thanksgiving maybe not being as possible, Jean's Beans is going to take on a new role, and hopefully fill a need.

What You Need To Know

  • Jean's Beans is a small, family run take-out restaurant in Watertown, specializing in seafood

  • However, as gatherings get more restricted, some will not have a large Thanksgiving dinner

  • Jean's Beans is adding a traditional, home cooked Thanksgiving dinner to its menu

 

When you come to Jean's Beans, it's likely you are looking to get a fresh piece of haddock. It's been a staple for almost as long as the restaurant has been around, which is 70 years.

However, for Thanksgiving, understanding the situation with COVID-19 and perhaps people's lack of desire to host or attend a typical large family gathering or cook a big meal for just themselves, the menu is getting an addition.

"Pretty much your traditional Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, mashed potatoes, homemade stuffing and usually squash, a dinner role and a piece of pie," Mark Bowman of Jean's Beans said of the Thanksgiving Day special.

So far, the restaurant has more than 1,000 pre-orders from people and groups that would normally host a dinner on their own, and were not sure what they'd do because of COVID-19.

It's a chance for the restaurant to play a role in a time of need.

"It makes you feel pretty good. We actually just got a 'thank you' letter today from a senior citizen housing complex on State Street, which bought 70 dinners for an early Thanksgiving for their residents. They were appreciative," Bowman said.

The restaurant pitched in on the costs of those dinners, and also will for an order of more than 800 from Fort Drum. Single soldiers, from far away, they typically gather together for Thanksgiving, and now will still able to get that small piece of home.

"It's really cool. When they come in, they're very appreciative. A lot of them are from little, small towns like Watertown. They say coming in here brings back a lot of memories of where they're from, little mom and pop restaurants that are all over the country really," Bowman said of the troops.

It's a big reason why the restaurant wants to pay it forward now and why it will also be open Thanksgiving morning, to ensure anyone else can pick up dinner too.

You can pre-order dinners by visiting the Jean's Beans website.