Eating out on Christmas Day becomes new tradition for families in South Jersey

HADDONFIELD, N.J. - While many businesses closed down for the holidays, some were cashing in. 

The sounds of phones ringing at Verona Ristorante in Haddonfield, New Jersey, is common on Christmas Day.  

"Typically Christmas is definitely our most busiest day. I say the second is New Year’s Eve, but we are expecting over 350 people today," says James Weston, a server at Verona Ristorante. 

Just like New Year’s Eve, the wine bottles are popping, and the food orders are rapidly coming. 

Dee McFadden and her mother Gussie have become pros at eating out on Christmas Day after celebrating at Verona Ristorante last year.

"We were very pleased, and we decided to come back again. They are very nice here, very accommodating," says McFadden.

The same thing was being said about Starview Diner in Somedale, New Jersey. 

"One, they’re very good food wise, two, nothing is open today, and three, it’s not far from my house," says Larry Kaplan.

Kaplan decided to join some friends for breakfast to fill up before the big Eagles game. 

"All I’ve been doing the whole weekend is watching football, which Dallas lost, which is good," says Kaplan.

Sitting right next to Kaplan, a group of women in all purple, who had just got done watching the new Color Purple movie. 

"It was very good. I’m visiting from Cleveland, my mom is here from Virginia, and we are visiting my sister who lives here, and we just decided after the movie to enjoy breakfast," says Monique Good.

For Jonique Gould’s family, today’s breakfast may be the start of a new tradition. 

"We had a big Christmas Eve dinner and nobody wanted to cook, it was just a lot so, we just decided to come here and enjoy our morning," says Gould. 

Which is the exact reason the Starview owner, Stefanos Kitrinos, has been keeping his doors open on Christmas for the last 25 years.

"For the customers only, I open up, they give us support," says Kitrinos.

A tradition of Christmas Day business that both restaurants plan on doing for many years to come.