Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Restaurateurs need love this Valentine's Day
Lindsey Nair
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Around this time last year, I wrote about how local chefs planned to spoil their sweethearts with delectable Valentine's Day treats.
This year, those same chefs and many others are wishing for a lot more than romance. They're hoping for booming sales that will drag them out of a depressing January slump.
"Anything after the Christmas parties end in December is pretty bleak for a while, so Valentine's is nice because it does pick up," said Fred Umberger, one of the owners of Bogen's Steakhouse in Blacksburg.
This Valentine's Day, of course, it is particularly important that restaurants do well. With the economy in shambles, many Americans are bound to be cutting back on "entertainment spending" such as dining out.
And with Valentine's Day falling on a Saturday, which sounded like a boon, I was surprised to learn from restaurateurs that it is not a plus. It's much more profitable if the holiday falls on a weekday, when restaurants don't normally do well in sales -- that way they get a bonus day that week.
"It is even more important to do a time and a half in your revenue than you would normally do on a Saturday night," said Scott Switzer, executive chef at Metro!. "But if you are just going to do a regular Saturday night's sales, then you have just wasted a holiday."
One restaurant chain is trying to get ahead of that problem by luring diners for Valentine's specials earlier in the week.
Carrabba's is calling their pre-Valentine's event Feb. 11 and 12 "Dal Cuore Nights," which means "From the heart" in Italian. The event features a prix fixe (fixed price) menu, $10 off bottles of wine and a chance to win an Italian cruise.
"With Valentine's Day falling on a Saturday this year, many couples may be looking to skip the weekend crowds, price hikes and inevitable baby sitter shortage by dining out earlier in the week," wrote Carrabba's spokesman Jonathan Carl in an e-mail.
However, many other restaurant owners aren't changing a thing for Valentine's Day this year. They are banking on the hope that even in tough times, customers will want to splurge on special occasions.
"I think if there was any time for them to actually spend, it would probably be now," said Marcus Jenkins, general manager at Zeppoli's Italian restaurant in Blacksburg.
The Regency Room at Hotel Roanoke and its sister restaurant, Preston's at the Inn at Virginia Tech, are also hoping couples will be up for a treat. They'll be serving from a prix fixe menu on Valentine's Day that includes an appetizer, salad, entree and dessert for $45 to $65 per person in Roanoke and $90 per couple in Blacksburg.
For an additional cost, both hotels are also offering romantic lodging packages with little extras such as sparkling wine, strawberries and a late checkout.
Abdul Sharaki, chef and owner of The Summit in Christiansburg, is also going with a prix fixe menu, but he believes his customers are getting an exceptional deal with five courses for $34.95. Other chefs are staying away from limited menus, which could annoy customers looking for an expanded choice on special occasions.
At Metro!, 202 Market, Bogen's Steakhouse and Zeppoli's, diners can expect the entire menu to be available, in addition to nightly specials created by the chefs specifically for the holiday.
"We generally try to accent our format with specialty ingredients and dishes that we know are just perfect for the occasion, and that's the big attraction, really," Switzer said.
It is difficult to ascertain overall how restaurants may fare on Valentine's Day, especially because some don't take reservations.
But The Summit is full already for Valentine's Saturday, and Sharaki said the books were about half full for Friday night as of midweek last week.
It's already looking good for Hotel Roanoke, according to spokesman Michael Quonce. And 202 Market chef Chad Scott said they have already decided to open the auxiliary dining room for Valentine's Day.
If you're planning on a romantic restaurant dinner on Valentine's Day, perhaps you can still save a little bit of money.
One idea: Skip dessert and head home for a glass of wine and an indulgence whipped up by your own loving hands. This lovely chocolate tart from the book "Chocolat" by Stephan Lagorce ought to be a good start.
