Valentine’s Day 2021 proved very different for the restaurant industry. In 2019, experts had predicted a rise in romantic dinner reservations of more than 400%, according to restaurantdive.com; a sharp contrast to 2021’s special day, when creative restauranteurs were trying to craft memorable take-away experiences, including roses or gifts with each carry-out order.
Speaking to TODAY, Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research for the National Restaurant Association said, “Pre-pandemic, Valentine’s Day was the second busiest occasion of the year for the restaurant industry,” adding, ”It’s often a chance for restaurants to innovate special offerings and promotions.”
While restaurants are open and customers are dining out again, there is some trepidation in the air along with the romance. Valentine’s Day can be the perfect opportunity for both celebrating a romantic holiday and adhering to distancing precautions. Focusing on the intimacy of the day and offering special “tables for two” will make it easier to create close experiences for your diners while maintaining space between parties. This is especially true for guests willing to dine semi-outdoors, offering special reservations for private tents or igloos prepared with extra romantic touches.
Richard Weil, principal and owner of National Restaurant Consultants, comments about Valentine’s Day 2022, “This year, be sure to not just promote Valentines on the 14th, but the entire weekend prior. While Super Bowl Sunday is the day before Valentine’s this year, creative messaging and staff preparations will help make the entire weekend prior a special event occasion for your guests.”
What’s important to remember is, even pre-pandemic, the restaurant industry was one of creative, exciting solutions. There have been challenges these last few years, and those challenges can present opportunities as well. Customers want to get back to restaurants and make special memories; and with new approaches to holidays and themed dining, we can help give that to them.