But one Pizza Hut manager in Indiana says he refused to open his restaurant on the holiday. And he says that decision that cost him his job.
Tony Rohr started at Pizza Hut as a cook and worked his way up to being a store manager of the Jackson Boulevard Pizza Hut in Elkhart. He was told opening on Thanksgiving this year was mandatory so, at a meeting with his superiors, he decided to take a stand.
"I said, 'Why can't we be the company that stands up and says we care about our employees and they can have the day off?'" he said.
Rohr says it wasn't about him. It was about his employees. He told his bosses that he would not open the restaurant he managed on Thanksgiving.
"Thanksgiving and Christmas are the only two days that they're closed in the whole year. And they're the only two days that those people are guaranteed to have off and spend it with their families," Rohr said.
Rohr says he was told to sign a letter of resignation. He refused. Instead, he wrote a letter explaining his position to his boss. In the letter he said he wrote, "I am not quitting. I do not resign. However, I accept that the refusal to comply with this greedy, immoral request means the end of my tenure with this company."
His letter went on to say, "I hope you realize that it's the people at the bottom of the totem pole that make your life possible."
Rohr's girlfriend and his family said they support his actions.
"I was a little shocked. I kind of thought something would happen, but I wasn't sure. But I am proud that he did stand up for what he believes in," said girlfriend Rachel Wible.
Rohr is still unemployed and looking for a new job. He says it was worth it.
"They're still going to be open. I'm sure they're still going to sell pizza, but I just didn't think it was right," he said.
Local news station WBST says it did speak with one of Rohr's bosses on the phone. He told the station Rohr was not fired, he quit.
