Christmas trees and BBQ: Pork 'N Pine delivery service is a Charm City holiday tradition

BALTIMORE - In Baltimore, Santa doesn't need a sleigh. 

Plus, he replaces his sack of presents with a stack of Christmas trees, and a backpack full of barbeque.

Local Christmas tree delivery service "Pork 'N Pine" started in 2011 and has become a Charm City Christmas tradition.

"It's a pulled pork sandwich and a Christmas tree delivered to your front door, anywhere within the vicinity of Baltimore City," Todd Coleman said. "We've watched kids grow up. We've got kids we've seen for the last 4 or 5 years. I scared a child this year. I went up and said her name, and she's like, 'Oh my God, how do you know my name?'"

From Black Friday until mid-December, Coleman and Mike Santoro spend their weekends biking around the city, dressed as Santa.

"Nobody's mad at Santa," Santoro said.

And they are thrilled to be back. 

Last year there was a nationwide Christmas tree shortage, forcing Pork 'N Pine to cancel its 2021 season.

"We literally couldn't get wholesale trees. I looked everywhere," Coleman said. "The place we normally get them from is up in Pennsylvania. But I looked all the way up to Canada all the way down to Florida, and I just could not get any Christmas trees, whatsoever."

"2021 was pretty sad. Definitely a bummer," Santoro said. "But now that we're back, we got trees. And hopefully, we don't have that kerfuffle again anymore. Pork 'N Pine will be around for a long time."

This year, they're delivering 165 Christmas trees. They sold out within days, but it's not about profit.

"We don't even make any money," Coleman said. "We just have a good time."

It's a chance to celebrate the season in a uniquely Baltimore way.

"It's more than just a delivery service. If you wanted a Christmas tree delivered, you could have that. But what we're bringing is an experience," Coleman said. "It's a very quintessential Baltimore thing. I don't even know if it could exist anywhere else. "