Local restaurants anticipate big turnout for first Valentine’s Day post-lockdown

Love is in the air as local restaurants are embracing a return to normalcy.

The biggest night of the year will be even bigger than usual at the Charcoal Steak House, due to it being the first time in several years that the upscale venue has been in normal operations for Valentine's Day.

The Kitchener based restaurant is anticipating a full house, with 500 reservations already made for Tuesday night.

While these numbers are relatively the same as last year's Valentine's Day, the noticeable difference is the influx of reservations being made before and after the romantic holiday.

The venue received an average of 400 reservations across the entire week.

Mary Traversy, Director of Marketing at the Charcoal Steak House, said the appeal of going out for Valentine's Day is making the romantic holiday stress free.

“You get to really focus on the time spent with your partner, and enjoy the meal that you're sharing, and take in the ambience.” Traversy stated.

Traversy added that she feels a certain joy in the building as the venue celebrates the first normal Valentine's Day in three years.

“I really feel like we're back on our feet.” Traversy explained. “I think there's just a level of confidence and happiness that I just get a sense of … that's definitely been different than the last couple of years.”