PITTSBURGH — Valentine’s Day typically brings a boost to local restaurants. With the holiday falling on a Friday, business owners in fine dining spots knew they had to be ready for a weekend of celebrating.
Tables and reservation books are filled up for Valentine’s weekend at Monterey Bay Fish Grotto on Grandview Avenue in Mount Washington.
Cindy & TJ Vinkovich of Lower Burrell came in to celebrate six years of love with a romantic dinner.
“I go for the crab cakes, actually,” TJ Vinkovich said. “It’s like their staple but I get a lobster tail with it.”
Cindy Vinkovich said, “I like the linguini pescatore.”
The husband-and-wife duo knew to book their table for two at the seafood restaurant at the start of the new year.
“I made them January 1st,” Cindy Vinkovich said. “As soon as they went up online, January 1st, I made them.”
Monterey Bay General Manager John Bellan said they’re already taking reservations for 2026.
“Overall, Valentine’s is one of the busiest times of the year for us,” he said.
Josephine DeFrancis, who owns Altius down the street, also sees a boost in business around Valentine’s Day, especially when it falls in the middle of the week and they book the weekend before and after.
“People have been coming in early to celebrate because they can’t get in this weekend,” DeFrancis said. “It’s been busy all week.”
Bellan said on Friday, the actual holiday, they saw a 37% jump in sales compared to the Friday before, and they’re up 12% from last Valentines Day.
“This is the second year in a row we’re going to see an increase in guest foot traffic and in sales, so we feel very fortunate,” Bellan said.
Spending is expected to hit an all-time high this year. The National Retail Federation expects people to spend a record $27.5 billion on Valentine’s Day, which is about $188 a person.
The cold and messy roads earlier in the day haven’t had too much of an impact.
At Monterey Bay Fish Grotto, Bellan said they’ve had about 20 cancellations Saturday because of the weather but quickly added more reservations.
“Open Table has a great new feature where guests can sign up; it’s called ‘notify me.’ When a reservation cancels, these guests get notified, so we’re losing reservations but as soon as we lose one, another one gets snatched right up,” said Bellan.
The GM said having a special Valentine’s menu helps to bring people in.
“The number one seller now is the South African lobster tail, but the veal chop is gaining fast,” Bellan said.
As for dessert, the restaurant has a chocolate cherry cordial that will be sticking around after the holiday weekend.
“Let’s be honest, it’s the hard work of the staff; it’s the view; it’s the great food,” Bellan said. “It’s a nice combination.”
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