CLEVELAND — Ahead of the busy holiday weekend, local restaurants say they're prepared for the families who don’t feel like cooking, or maybe the ones who had their turkey destroyed by the dog Christmas day.
Cleveland is a rich and diverse community that welcomes people from all over the world, some of whom don’t celebrate Christmas.
It provides a crossroads for families who need a break from the holiday hustle and bustle and those who don't mind opening when others are closed. Long-time Clevelanders know there's always one place to grab a bite on Christmas. This is a tradition that Edward Hom said his family has kept alive in Cleveland since the 1970s.
“In the food business, from Dec. 15 to Jan. 2 is the busiest time of year,” said Hom, a partner at Li Wah Restaurant.
Hom owns two other Chinese restaurants in Rocky River and Beachwood, but Li Wah Restaurant downtown is known for its dim sum and traditional Chinese Peking duck — a dish that turned into an instant holiday classic thanks to the 1983 movie "A Christmas Story."
“Officially we are not tied to The Christmas Story, but again we have plenty of roast duck. You can have roast duck any hour of the day,” Hom said.
Li Wah is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and on Christmas Day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Reservations are being taken for parties after 8 p.m. Hom said his other restaurants can’t take reservations this year due to staffing issues.
“Labor is a very big problem at all three restaurants. We are short servers, like we can’t take any reservations because we can’t guarantee how many servers we will have that day,” Hom added.
Despite staffing challenges, Hom said he has no shortages of food.
“We will be very busy at all three restaurants; of course, we have extra inventory,” said Hom.
And whether family dinner goes from fab to drab this holiday weekend, if you decide to eat out, Hom hopes you'll try to support local.
“We invest into the community. Our goal is to make a nice China Town for the city of Cleveland.” said Hom. “I am here to make the neighborhood a better place.”
See a list of other restaurants that will be open on Christmas here.
