Halifax companies in the love business were relying on a strong Valentine’s Day to lift them out of the winter slowdown, and by most accounts the city’s Romeos and Juliets delivered.
“It was great,” said restaurateur Costa Elles at the Greek-themed eatery Opa. He said the two Opa locations, along with Seven, the Argyle and Mosaic, had “record sales.”
“It’s never a big spending day, but we found that this year people have been hibernating for the last couple of months. That was truly an occasion they made sure that they got out,” he said yesterday.
The restaurants are always busy on Feb. 14, he said, but this year they were taking names for waiting lists weeks in advance.
“People needed to get out,” Elles said.
It was a busy time for companies offering an alternative take on the holiday, too.
“It turned out pretty good for me,” said Amanda Bennett of Berry Blossoms. She makes edible flowers from fruit and chocolate and offers a “best boyfriend” guarantee for guys who send their ladies a bouquet.
Her Valentine’s Day special this year was two dozen juicy, chocolate-dipped strawberries arranged like roses. One of the lucky ladies to receive the treat was her boyfriend’s young daughter. The girl didn’t want “unhealthy” chocolate, so he got her the chocolate-covered strawberries.
“She was very happy. It’s something different,” Bennett said.
Joel Chiasson at the Old Triangle said the Irish pub took the anti-roses approach, celebrating “everything not to do with Valentine’s Day.”
“We’re not that big on romance, but business was good,” he said.
