Apple Cup Cafe’s Thanksgiving tradition continues despite fire

CHELAN – Not even a fire can keep Apple Cup Cafe from hosting their 27th annual Free Thanksgiving Dinner.

The dinner will be at the Lake Chelan Community Center, 103 Bighorn Way, Chelan, on Thursday, November 28, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

The March fire at the Apple Cup Cafe forced Peterson and his team to temporarily operate from the new community center, where they will now host this year’s Thanksgiving dinner. The dinner will feature 50 turkeys, donated by local supporters and prepared with the help of volunteers.

Owner Ryan Peterson said the only time the cafe missed a year of hosting a community Thanksgiving meal was in 2020.

The dinner is for anyone who wants to spend Thanksgiving with others enjoying a good meal.

“It's always been intended to be a free community dinner, not necessarily for those who need it,” he said. “I mean, if somebody needs it and can't afford a meal, then, that's obviously the best scenario for us. But you know, more than that, it's intended to be just a way to bring the community together, to kind of sit down and just break bread together.”

Peterson hopes that the meal will bring the community together.

“I think there can be a lot of differences through the year, but for everybody, you know, all walks of life, to be able to sit down for at least one day a year, one meal a year, and just be a community, especially in a small town, is really important,” he said. 

The meal was started by Peterson’s dad, and now he continues the tradition.

“This was actually my dad's dream,” he said. “He'd been wanting to do it, I think, for a long time. He grew up in the restaurant industry, and then, I think it was something that he thought about for a long time. My parents bought the Apple Cup in ‘95 and then, and started doing it, and then I bought the restaurant in 2013 and continued the tradition.”

Every year, volunteers and sponsors help make the community meal a reality. Anyone interested in volunteering can find the sign-up link on the cafe’s website, applecupcafe.com, or Facebook page.

Meal deliveries are also available, and updates on how to arrange delivery will soon be posted on the Apple Cup Cafe’s website and Facebook page.

“We couldn’t have pulled this off without the tremendous help of Sysco Spokane, Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center, and Sal Gonzalez at Chelan Middle/High School,” Peterson said in a social media post. “We hope to make this our best year yet, please come out and support.” 

Peterson said Franz Bakeries and the Chelan Eagles have also been great supporters of the event.

The Apple Cup Cafe will also accept food and monetary donations for the Lake Chelan Food Bank during the event, aiming to raise additional support for the local organization. For more information, email info@applecupcafe.com or call 509-682-5000.

Quinn Propst: 509-731-3590 or quinn@ward.media.