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Country Saloon is hosting its 10th annual free Thanksgiving meal

The Country Saloon in East Peoria is owned by Stacey Doerr. She bought the building in October, 2012 and started a long running Thanksgiving meal tradition just one month after.
Collin Schopp
/
WCBU
The Country Saloon in East Peoria is owned by Stacey Doerr. She bought the building in October, 2012 and started a long running Thanksgiving meal tradition just one month after.

An East Peoria Bar is hosting a free Thanksgiving meal for people without a family celebration to go to.

Country Saloon, on Meadow Avenue right by the border between East Peoria and Morton, opened ten years ago. Owner Stacey Doerr says the building has a long history in food service.

“This place was built in the 50s. And it was actually a little cafe to begin with,” said Doerr. “And then it went to Uncle Al’s Steakhouse for a while. It was Stallion Steakhouse for a while, and then it got turned into a bar.”

Doerr says she grew up in the industry, her grandparents owned a bar for more than 30 years.

“I'd always wanted to eventually own my own,” she said. “And this one came up for sale. And so we bought it and it's been going great.”

Doerr, like many bar owners, works at building relationships with her customers. A few regulars at the bar the morning I came out for the interview referred to her as “the best bar owner ever.” It was during conversations with loyal regulars like these that Doerr came up with the idea of the free Thanksgiving meal.

“We had a lot of regular customers who didn't have family around the area,” she said. “So we started doing a free Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter dinner for people that didn't have any family or relatives or a place to go for those holidays.”

The parking lot of the Country Saloon is already filling up on a Wednesday morning, it will be much fuller for the 10th annual Thanksgiving meal the next day.
Collin Schopp
/
WCBU
The parking lot of the Country Saloon is already filling up on a Wednesday morning, it will be much fuller for the 10th annual Thanksgiving meal the next day.

The preparation for the meal is extensive. Doerr says she and her twelve person kitchen staff make, on average: three 20-pound turkeys, one full ham and more than fifteen side dishes including cheesy and mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, corn casserole, stuffing, three different pies, strawberry pretzel salad and more.

The massive spread is a lot of work, Doerr comes in at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning to put finishing touches on everything and some years have been easier than others.

“One year I forgot to turn the roasters on for the turkeys. So they weren't done,” said Doerr. “But just, I don't mind doing it. It, you know, gives me a sense of satisfaction to be able to give back to the customers.”

The customers give back for Doerr as well, she says over the years some have started bringing their own dishes to contribute to the meal as the tradition developed.

“It was a way for us all to be able to celebrate together for people that didn't have anywhere else to go and family around,” she said. “We're all kind of like family here anyway.”

Doerr says, on an average year, around 100 people show up for the free meal. The event is on Thanksgiving Day and the 10th Annual Country Saloon Thanksgiving meals are served starting around 1 p.m.

Collin Schopp is a reporter at WCBU. He joined the station in 2022.