Why Is One Illinois City Home To America’s Top Turkey Experts?

For 41 years now, cooking Illinoisans and kitchen-tasked people from every other state have reached out to one Illinois city for expertise in how to properly serve up a beautiful Thanksgiving Day turkey, with minimal risk of poisoning their guests, having to order a pizza, or summon the fire department.

You may have called for help from the turkey pros in this Illinois town, too.

Any guesses?

Okay, you're obviously busy with your Thanksgiving preparations and don't feel like wasting your time on guesses about Illinois towns and their turkey expertise. I respect that, so here's the answer to the question about why one Illinois town has all the turkey experts, and what town it is:

Why Naperville? It's Because Naperville, Illinois Is Home To The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line, And Has Been Since 1981

And according to Mashed.com, the very first Thanksgiving that the Butterball Turkey Talk-line was in existence, the turkey experts working the phones took over 11,000 calls for help and advice. Call volume has gone up ever since.

We've advanced just a bit (technologically speaking) since 1981, so today, in addition to being able to call the Butterball Turkey Talk-line on your phone (1-800-BUTTERBALL), you can also email, online chat, or reach out via text.

The First Year Of The Talk-Line Had 6 Turkey Experts Fielding 10,000-Plus Calls For The Season, Now They Have More Than 50 Experts Who Take 10,000 Calls On Thanksgiving Day Alone

And, unlike many jobs today, the experts who work the Butterball Turkey Talk-line are not doing it remotely, but right there, side by side, at the offices in Naperville.

Mashed.com:

"We have rows of computers, and we all have our headsets. When the staff comes in for their shift, they each have a spot to sit. It's great because people will line up next to their friends or next to the people they know. Sometimes, they'll put a consumer on hold and ask someone else a question, just to get a little reassurance or some advice from a neighbor," explained Andrea Balitewicz.

Click here for some secrets about the Butterball Turkey Talk-line.