Hundreds appreciate holiday fare at Nugget

Eleanor McDede was waiting patiently Monday afternoon in the long line outside of the Carson Nugget Coffee Shop. She's been coming to the restaurant for years, and she saw plenty of people she recognized.

McDede said what she liked best about the local hangout is that the food is good and "the least expensive," she said.

All the satiated customers had to say was "I'm a guest of the Nugget" after enjoying a traditional holiday meal of turkey and all the trimmings. The phrase allowed people to leave the restaurant with full stomachs and equally full wallets - if uttered during a specific time frame.

The Adamses "have been doing this for many years," said Diana LeBaron, shift supervisor. "And people have been very appreciative."

The low-key event that has gone on since the late 1950s is aimed at two separate groups: needy residents with nowhere to go for a Christmas meal, and regular customers, to thank them for their patronage, LeBaron said.

Most of the Nugget employees enjoy participating in the event - even if it means working Christmas - because it "makes people happy who wouldn't be happy otherwise," LeBaron said.

"Families who don't have a lot can sit down and have a nice meal and dessert, and not feel like they're getting charity," she said. "And there's no differentiation between people who eat for free and people who are paying."

It also allows people working for local services agencies a day with their families, LeBaron added.

The number of people served was still being calculated Monday afternoon.

Enough food is prepared to feed more than a thousand people, according to Nugget staff.

• Contact reporter Terri Harber at tharber@nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111, ext. 215.