Burge's prepares 500 hams and turkeys

Cooking Thanksgiving dinner for 5,000 people sounds nearly impossible, but over the next few days, up to 500 people will pick up hams and turkeys at Burge's in the Heights.

If you figure each ham or turkey feeds about ten people, that's 5,000 meals.

FOX16 got a behind the scenes look Saturday at how Burge's keeps up with the demand.

Imagine unwrapping, draining and dousing five-hundred hams and turkeys with honey made right here in Arkansas all by Thanksgiving. It's a challenge Burge's Anthony Tally is up for.

"It's kind of like a crème brulee. We're trying to caramelize the honey and sugar together," Tally says.

Which means it's time for Tally to fire up the blow torch.

"It's kind of a slow process. You don't want to get it too dark," he adds.

Burge's isn't just serving up holiday meals for the carnivores. The Kelly family came all the way from Texas to grab lunch before Saturday's Hogs game and ordered grilled cheese.

"We actually came here back in the late 70s. We used to come here all the time," says Shannon Kelly.

Loyal customers like the Kellys help Burge's year-round when Jeff Voyles and his crew aren't cooking up all of this holiday cheer.

"Smoked Swiss, smoked cheddar, hickory smoked chicken, country bacon, in addition to our smoked turkeys, hams, barbecued ribs," said Voyles as he showed off some of his holiday gift boxes.

While Grace Kelly enjoyed her lunch, we think she's more excited about her first Hogs game.

"I've always been watching the games on TV since I was little, and I'm excited to go to my first game," says Grace Kelly.

Burge's ships ham and turkey all the way to Hawaii, Puerto Rico, New York and California. The company started in Lewisville in 1962 and is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary.