COLUMBUS, Ohio — The last time Valentine’s Day fell on a Friday, consumers in the U.S. spent a record amount of money on the holiday.
What You Need To Know
- Recent statistics predict consumers spending will be significantly more than last year for Valentine’s Day
- Restaurants like the Refectory are preparing for big crowds
- The owner says their restaurant is fully booked for Valentine’ss Day weekend
Back in 2020, just before the pandemic, the National Retail Foundation says consumers spent $27.4 billion dollars on Valentine’s Day.
Five years later, it’s predicting we’ll break that record, and that likely means big business for restaurants, like the Refectory.
Owner Kamal Boulos said Valentine’s Day falling on a Friday makes for a busy weekend.
“We’ve been booked for two, three weeks maybe,” he said. “We’ll probably turn away, maybe four or five times as many people as we serve. We can’t make tables out of thin air.”
Last year, the holiday fell on a Wednesday, and according to data from the company Toast, restaurant sales jumped 77% that day over a normal Wednesday. With the holiday falling on a Friday this year, Toast said that the jump could be even higher, but no matter how full this place gets, Boulos knows he’ll be prepared.
“The entire kitchen staff was here last evening preparing for these next few days, particularly Friday and Saturday, but also the entire week,” he said.
All that to ensure this Valentine’s Day is extra memorable.
“One of our private rooms that we just use exclusively for private dining on Valentine’s Day. New Year’s Eve, things like that’ll be opened for regular dining,” he said. “We’ll have live music in that space as well. So, it’s just the whole restaurants kind of involved, every corner of the restaurant.”