Year after year, Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest nights for restaurants. In fact, in February 2020 (before the global shutdown due to COVID-19), the expected spending on an “evening out” for Valentine’s Day was 4.3 billion dollars. It’s no surprise that expected spending for the day decreased last year, and with continued uncertainty around emerging variants, traditional V-Day activities have been disrupted once again, with 77 percent of guests planning to spend time at home for the holiday. 

What does this mean for restaurants? While another Valentine's Day during the pandemic may mean another year with fewer tables turned, it doesn’t have to mean another year of lost revenue. Restaurants can still capitalize on the year’s busiest date night by serving guests both on- and off-premise—all it takes is a bit of planning and some creative promotions. 

Here are a few ways restaurants can prepare for guests dining in and ordering out:

Show you care (about safety!) 

Whether it’s limited seating times, socially distanced tables, mask policies, outdoor seating with heaters, contactless menus, take-home meals, or curbside pickup, keep guests informed of the steps you’re taking to ensure their safety should they decide to dine at your restaurant. 

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Help guests plan ahead

Planning for Valentine's Day starts as early as mid-January—let your guests know you’d love to host them! Share your Valentine’s special(s) across channels. Send an email to your restaurant followers, post about your menu/event on your social media pages, create and print table tents for those visiting you on-premise, and set a pop-up announcement on your homepage to help direct website visitors to your event and/or menu page.  

NoPo is already reminding guests to grab some sweet treats this V-Day with an announcement right when guests land on the website. This sweet ordering event is a creative way to capture some additional revenue for the restaurant which isn’t a traditional full-service, “date-night” destination.

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Send a sweet offer

Create a special offer that’s hard to pass up—a free dessert when you order Valentine’s dinner to-go, a complimentary glass of champagne, or even a little party favor like a take-home box of chocolates. Sometimes even a small token can make guests feel extra special. 

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Offer to bring date night to their doorstep 

Your Valentine’s Day offerings don’t have to be limited to the four walls of your restaurant. Give guests the option to celebrate at home with meal kits or pre-ordered pick-up orders. These types of promotions and ordering events capture revenue in advance, create upsell opportunities and let you keep track of order demand and availability. 

Black Angus is giving couples the option to bring the full feast to the comfort of the couch with a “feast for two” that can be enjoyed in-restaurant, for take-out, or even delivery. 

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Find unique ways to delight 

Holiday events like Valentine's Day create natural opportunities to break from your standard offerings and find new ways to delight your guests. A bonus? Adding creative and novel items to the menu can help boost check averages for a night or two. It could be something simple, like a limited-time dessert or a special wine or cocktail.

B&B Butchers & Restaurants partnered with another business to offer flower arrangements that can be sent home with a guest's Valentine’s order—a natural upsell for guests placing their advanced online order. 

PopTip: Using terms like “limited” (e.g., limited arrangements available) creates a sense of scarcity and urgency which can help drive guest purchase behavior and increase upsell potential.

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However you choose to connect with your guests this year, one thing is for certain: Valentines Day is best spent with something delicious from your menu!