South Philadelphia bakery continues 70-year tradition of cooking turkeys

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The brick oven at Cacia's Bakery in South Philadelphia is once again serving as a massive slow cooker for dozens of Thanksgiving turkeys.

"My family and I, that's all we know. On Thanksgiving, we work," said General Manager Joe Cacia.

They've mastered the process over the last 70 years.

"If it fits in the pan, we roast it," said owner Sam Cacia.

Just make sure it's a metal roasting pan with a turkey ready to be cooked.

"There was someone here before me. He said he got here at 3:50 a.m.," said Joe Cacia.

The line always starts early, but turkeys don't usually go into the oven until 6 a.m. or 7 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning. They are then ready in the afternoon for the price of $29.

One customer ran into an unexpected delay while in line outside. She was also celebrating her birthday.

"My battery died. I had hazard lights waiting for my mom," said customer Shenelle Butler.

This is her mom's first time getting a turkey.

"We wanted to try something different and I got stuck. Had to get a battery and everything," she said.

Even through all of that, customers say it's worth the wait.

"We bring our turkey here every year," said customer Rita Kenny. "I've been doing this for about 20 years since we were babies."

"This my first time. When I watched the news this morning, I saw everyone acting excited about this place, so I said, 'You know what, let's try it out.' And if it goes well, next year we'll be here," one customer said.

Potential customers wanting to give it a try next year should be sure to have all turkeys well seasoned and ready to go for the oven before arrival.