SugarJam The Southern Kitchen is known for its high-energy brunch where guests enjoy signature dishes like pulled pork hash, French toast and fried chicken, all while listening to catchy tunes from resident performer DJ FRESHMAKER.
"It's a fun, lively atmosphere. We have great music and people of all ages, from babies to those in their 80s and 90s. I love seeing people connect and have fun through music, food and drinks," says owner and chef Dana Dumas.
Adjacent to the 5,000-square-foot restaurant, a mini market offers the ideal pies to complete your Thanksgiving feast. But if you want to make sure one of the famous pies lands on your table during the holiday, be sure to place your order soon.
"This time of year gets really crazy, on top of the restaurant being crazy. We make a lot of pies, and the most popular ones are apple pie, apple crumb, pumpkin pie and sweet potato bourbon pecan," Dumas says.
SugarJam is now accepting online pre-orders for 9-inch pies and orders will stay open through Nov. 20. Classic pies are priced at $27.95, while pies with nuts, crumb topping, caramel or cobbler are available for $29.96. Pickup is scheduled for Nov. 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., an earlier end-time than in previous years.
"I want to be able to go home, kick my feet up and start cooking my own Thanksgiving meal while giving my staff the freedom to enjoy the afternoon before, (on) Thanksgiving Eve, with their families. I don’t want them here until 7 or 8 at night, like we’ve done in previous years on the day before Thanksgiving," Dumas says.
SugarJam will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday to give the staff time to recover from the holiday rush as fulfilling the demand for between 750 and 1,000 pies before Thanksgiving is a heavy lift.
As a small-batch bakery, efficiency is key at SugarJam during a busy holiday season. The kitchen relies on their food supplier to do some of the prep work. They order pre-cut Granny Smith apples in 40-pound cases, ensuring they can meet high demand without slowing down. The cooks also use pre-chopped pecans for their pecan pies.
On the Monday and Tuesday before the holiday, the team works in shifts to prepare for the rush of orders. According to Dumas, the first day typically lasts 12 to 14 hours and the second day involves baking non-stop for 24 hours straight.
Despite the long hours, the process builds a strong bond among the team as they come together to make pies, Dumas says.
"It's like a family fun type of thing. It's a lot of hard work, but at the end of the day, we all band together to make these pies," she says. "It's not just the bakers, everyone here is trained for Thanksgiving pies, and it's so much fun."