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Mad Rush at Meat Markets

STROUD TOWNSHIP — Most supermarkets will be closing about this time Wednesday for the Christmas holiday and so for many grocery stores and meat markets Tu...
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STROUD TOWNSHIP -- Most supermarkets will be closing about this time Wednesday for the Christmas holiday and so for many grocery stores and meat markets Tuesday is their big final rush for the holiday.

The owners at Gary's Meat Market said Tuesday will be their busiest day of the year - a Super Bowl of sorts for this family-run shop near Stroudsburg.  It's one that many people rely on to prepare that perfect feast for Christmas.

There's a bit of a line here at Gary's Meat Market near Stroudsburg. It's the market's busiest day of the year, the day before Christmas Eve.

But most people don't mind the wait.

"I am at Gary`s today to pick up my Christmas filet for my Christmas dinner," said Gail Dunkleberger of Stroudsburg.

Gail Dunkleberger comes because she says you can't find any better meat around.

"Absolutely, absolutely, he takes very good care of me, the roast will be perfect and it will just be wonderful," said Dunkleberger.

This Christmas shopping trip came with an added bonus: running into a friend from her high school class of '65.

Owner Gary Oney says his loyal and longtime customers come looking for all sorts of cuts of meat.

"Bologna and kielbasa staring with beef, filets, prime rib, boneless, bone in, hams, a lot of hams bone in," said owner Gary Oney.

Everything is organized and labeled here in the walk-in cooler making sure everything runs smoothly up front, getting these thousands of orders out on time.

"We`ve been working on it for the past four days, trying to get everybody`s order around," said co-owner Karen Oney.

In total, this meat market will fill between 2,000 and 3,000 orders just for Christmas, selling more than 1,000 pounds of ham, 3,000 pounds of homemade ring bologna and about a ton of prime rib, just for starters.

Kathy Leddy of Tannersville came in for bacon for her Christmas feast.

"Right now we`re up to about 10 for breakfast and about 15 for dinner so we`ll see what happens," said Leddy.

Gary says his customers make all this hard work, worthwhile.

"I`ll be here working and somebody will call and say you know that was the best filet i had in my life, or that was the best.  You know, it`s just part of the reward," said Oney.

Gary's Meat Market is entirely family run and Owner Gary Oney says he's open every week, only taking a few days off each year.

One of those, the day after Christmas to recoup after a very, very busy week.

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