Aramark's nightmare has happy ending

It was a recipe for disaster.

Aramark, The Citadel's food service, had 150 24-pound turkeys thawing for the Corp's annual Thanksgiving feast when news came that a construction accident had cut the gas line to the kitchen. Aramark's two largest ovens capable of cooking 28 turkeys at a time were useless.

Chow time for Cadet Justin Chandler who, like fellow cadets, added a tie to his uniform for the meal.

Normally Dave Heidenberg and his staff would just go to Plan B and fix something that didn't need baking but that was not an option for the traditional Thanksgiving meal. "When we've had utility problems before we just used another cooking method," Heidenberg said. "This took us back to ground zero with the added problem that everybody eats the same food at the same time so there was no way to serve in shifts or vary the menu."

Heidenberg said the staff basically started cooking the dinner right after breakfast. They were able to use two electric ovens in the kitchen, and sent other turkeys to the snack bar, the faculty house and the College of Charleston.

Palmetto Battery celebrates Thanksgiving. See more photos.

Word of Aramark's challenge spread and Heidenberg said he received offers of help from Trident Tech, Charleston Southern and Johnson and Wales as well as several hotels. Dinner had to be delayed one hour but Heidenberg said that turned out to be a bonus for cadets who got a little extra free time.

By 7 o'clock, the exhausted dining hall staff had put the food on the tables and the traditional Thanksgiving dinner began, complete with the knob-fashioned headdresses for upperclassmen. Heidenberg, who said that dinner was the toughest of his 22 years in the food service business, ended the evening with plenty to be thankful for.