Mother's Day - A Maple Tree Inn Tradition

The phone calls started coming last month after the success of the extraordinary Easter menu:

“What is the Maple Tree Inn doing for Mothers Day?”

In response, Maple Tree Inn owners announced today the famed restaurant features the best of both worlds:

Families can pre-order specialty group meals for carry out Mothers Day.

Regular carry-out will be available Sunday from 3:30 until 7:30.

The response to Easter’s special menu prompted the owners to help families embrace traditions long associated with the Maple Tree Inn’s ambiance and Cajun offerings. The big difference is carry out meals will be taken home this year, “but mom still doesn’t need to cook on her day.”

Preferably, pre-order family meals will be called in by 7:30 pm on Friday, May 8th. Staff will not be able take large specialty orders but the regular menus items will be available during the day Sunday.

The Maple Tree Inn is located at its new location: 18849 Dixie Highway, Homewood, Illinois; 708-388-3461.

With such dinner staples as Leg of Lamb, Porchetta, Smoked BBQ Beef Brisket, and Trout Ponchartrain, featured on a special Mother’s Day menu, along with the Cajun preparation, the Maple Tree Inn staff stands ready.

“As peculiar as the times are, the Easter response affirmed that our connection to family traditions is as strong as ever,” said owner Erich Wennberg.

“Of course, we as the hosts miss the engagement with our patrons but it’s comforting to know the traditions carry on, especially for all the mothers who deserve our attention and a break from the kitchen.”

The Maple Tree Inn owners have been buoyed by the support in their new location, which has introduced them to new patrons and helped them stay connected to long-time customers and friends.

Last month, the Maple Tree Inn owners followed up their own "carryout" announcement with a #GIFTTHEGLOVES campaign to provide front-line responders Nitrile gloves with a small donation.

The launch was well received and garnered hundreds of donations to supply gloves to first responders battling COVID-19. Deliveries of the donated boxes to the local front lines provided a “We’re in this together” rally.

From the beginning, the efficiency of the carryout program has brought customers in waves - physically separated - to get their pickup order dinners strategically displayed with generous spacing along the bar. Just as briskly they departed clutching the loops of the shopping bags.

The Maple Tree Inn owners and staff credit a great working relationship with local leaders, health authorities and the Illinois Restaurant Association to prepare "a rigid procedure for call-in and pick-up service" designed to keep customers from standing in line, while remaining six feet apart and inside the restaurant's entrance for only minutes at a time. There is no delivery service at this time.

"People have been so gracious in acknowledging our preparation and supporting our staff with gratuities," Wennberg said. "While we would have hoped to be closer to a conclusion, these remain unusual times and with the support of so many, we remain hopeful we’ll be dining outside when the weather turns consistent.”

The Maple Tree Inn operates the normal carry out service from 3:30 to 7:30 from Wednesday through Sunday.

PLEASE NOTE:

MOTHER’S DAY DINNERS MUST BE ORDERED FRIDAY NIGHT BY 7:30 P.M.; SUNDAY CARRY OUT PICK UP IS FROM 3:30 TO 7:30 p.m.

http://www.mapletreeinnrestaurant.com.

Orders can be placed during regular business hours by phone; servers will provide an accurate time frame for pickup. On arrival, customers will be directed toward the entrance.

Stanchions with signage will be in place to create a queue up and designate the proper 6 ft. distance between customers. Dining-in restrictions prevent anyone from waiting inside the restaurant for their food.

Maple Tree Inn: Opened in 1975, the Maple Tree Inn committed exclusively to Cajun/Creole cuisine in the early 1980s and established a passionate, loyal following. The Maple Tree Inn was named to the Top 50 Best Southern Restaurants in America by OpenTable in 2018.

The Maple Tree Inn patrons who have dining-in reservations during May and June are encouraged to reschedule those reservations through:

www.opentable.com/r/maple-tree
http://www.mapletreeinnrestaur...