Stores opening on Thanksgiving is a win for everyone.

As families prepare their Thanksgiving feast, it is inevitable that one necessary ingredient will be missing. Thanksgiving can be a stressful day for the family chef, and not being able to get the one vital ingredient only adds more stress.

While cooking is a good option for Thanksgiving dinner, it’s nice to have the option to eat out. The main part of Thanksgiving is family, and food should not be the barrier to enjoying that.

In a survey of 1,800 individuals by cars.com, 80 percent of respondents said they plan to drive to their Thanksgiving destination. During my family trips to Illinois on Thanksgiving, we often eat our Thanksgiving feast at one of the few restaurants open.

Black Friday also comes after Thanksgiving. Closing stores the day before the busiest shopping day of the year is counterproductive — it adds an extra amount of people and stress to employees working on Black Friday.

Initiatives like stores extending deals into the weekend is a good start, but having stores open during Thanksgiving could ease the load of customers on Black Friday.

Additionally, remaining open on Thanksgiving is a win for employees. Many companies — like CVS, Walgreens, and Whole Foods — offer holiday pay on Thanksgiving.

Stores should treat Thanksgiving like another day of being open. Consumers should spread out their shopping to ease the madness of shopping on Black Friday.