ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Most businesses are closed on Thanksgiving. But one particular shop in St. Augustine isn't and is open every Thanksgiving Day. Sabine Juskiowiak owns Le Macaron in downtown St. Augustine. It’s a bakery and sweets shop on Cathedral Street.
It’s always open on Thanksgiving Day. It’s not because she and her husband don’t like the holiday; it’s because they’re French. They moved here just seven years ago.
"I’m working for Thanksgiving because in France we don’t do Thanksgiving. So with all my family, we are happy to work," Juskiowiak smiled.
And because of their location across from the Bridge of Lions and right on the Plaza de la Constitution, they have a hungry audience who have few other choices downtown.
"A lot of restaurants are closed and a lot of groceries are closed, so we have a lot of customers because of that," she said. "Because they want to eat!"
Juskiowiak said Thanksgiving is probably the busiest day of the month for her. And even with a store full of people Thursday afternoon, she said, "Now, it’s not too busy, but certainly after 4 or 5 p.m. tonight, we will have a line outside normally."
That's a line of customers stringing out the front door, waiting to make an order. They're part of the crowd in downtown to see the Nights of Lights in the evenings.
USA Today reports that across the United States, more retailers have moved away from opening their stores on the holiday which is most likely because of a change in consumer habits.
However, for Juskiowiak and her family, the situation is a little different. Thanksgiving is not a holiday they celebrate; it’s a Thursday… albeit a really good Thursday.
"It’s just another day we can be open to give our good products to the customers," she nodded.