6 Valentine's Day Promotion Ideas for Your Restaurant

Love and food go hand in hand, so make sure your restaurant is prepared for Valentine’s Day. Folks everywhere are looking for a place to enjoy an intimate meal, whether it’s couples, families or singles. From reservations to couples looking for the right atmosphere, the day of love is perfect for offering promotions and deals at restaurants and diners. We have some easy Valentine’s Day promotion ideas for your restaurant, so your business can stay booming on cupid’s day.

Offer Desirable Deals

A special holiday like Valentine’s Day should include some enticing deals. Here are a couple of Valentine’s Day promotion ideas for your restaurant: 

• Offer a free appetizer promo code – You can encourage people to follow your social media channels by offering them a free appetizer.


• Consider a special discount – To attract customers to your restaurant on Valentine’s Day, you need to give them a reason they should dine with you over your competitors. For example, you could throw in a free dessert to sweeten the deal for those ordering take-out or delivery. 


• Prepare an affordable date night – With rising food costs, people are always looking for a way to save money. Splurging on a possible Valentine’s Day deal is perfect to pull people in for a night to treat themselves. Create an affordable set menu with multiple courses for a great deal to customers and also to make it easier for your chef to handle the influx in traffic.


• Provide guests with something complimentary – Offering free food and drink are not only the perfect accent to a romantic date night, but promos can even reduce customer churn rate. For couples dining at your restaurant, think about handing out free glasses of champagne or a delicious, shareable dessert.

Make Dinners for Two

Instead of the usual options on the menu, offer a special table d’hôte menu or a to-go special with multicourse meals for two. Each meal should be at a set price and include an appetizer, a soup or salad, an entrée with sides and a dessert. For a romantic occasion like Valentine’s Day, consider featuring some aphrodisiac-inspired foods and ingredients like avocados, chili peppers, chocolate and oysters.

Create a Romantic Setting

A romantic dinner requires the right ambiance. Set the tone of the evening for in-house dining by creating the perfect, romantic atmosphere. Here are some Valentine’s Day decoration ideas for restaurants: 

• Turn the lights down low and string up some white lights and heart-shaped décor.


• On the tables, create table settings featuring votive candles, rose petals and red linens. 


• Make sure you play softer music that allows couples to enjoy a quiet conversation.

Try to set up your décor about a week before. Once you’ve staged an intimate setting, snap a few photos to post on your social media channels leading up to Valentine’s Day. Don’t be afraid to reshare or post new pictures on the actual day as well. These can help attract some last-minute reservations or couples looking to celebrate during the weekend.

Give Out Some Sweetheart Swag

Give your customers a special swag bag filled with Valentine’s Day goodies after each dinner or with each to-go order. Here are some Valentine’s promotion ideas that each bag could include:

• Candy


• Coupons 


• Candles 


• Gift cards


• Flowers


• Dessert 

Think about partnering with a local business or two for help with the giveaways. For instance, your swag can include a small box of chocolates, a coupon to your restaurant and a gift card to a local establishment.

Not sure who to partner with? Consider reaching out to boutiques or spas that offer couples’ massages. You also could partner with a nearby movie theater to offer gift cards or coupons. After all, a romantic dinner and a movie are the perfect Valentine’s Day combo.

Spread the Love to Singles & Families

Sometimes, offering the polar opposite can go a long way. While other restaurants try to attract couples, you can show some love and affection to single folks and families. 

• Offer a special menu or package for singles – Everyone has to eat, but not everyone is in a relationship, so try creating deals and promos that aren’t so couple-focused. 


• Want to play the role of matchmaker? – Partner with a dating service or local group to set up a special speed-dating night in your restaurant. 


• Make takeout just as special – For those celebrating Galentine’s Day or Palentine’s Day, make your customers feel the love. It’s all in the small touches, so staple the take-out bag closed with a cut-out heart or include a plastic rose with the meal.


• Make Valentine’s Day family-friendly – For families, savings are big when dining out. A free appetizer or dessert is a good option, or you can offer free entrées for kids. 


• Keep kids in mind – Also, consider making cute dishes that appeal to little ones. Heart-shaped pizzas, hamburger buns or desserts can make the experience fun for the entire family.

Toast to Finding Love

For the couples wanting to get an early start on their celebrations, try some of these Valentine’s Day happy hour ideas: 

• Wine tasting – One of the most bought items on Valentine’s Day is wine. Providing a wine tasting will also promote alcohol sales throughout the night, following your patrons from the bar to the table. 


• It’s all in the name – Come up with Valentine’s Day-inspired names to pique interest and increase orders. For example, “The Cocktail of Love,” “Be Mine Bellini” or “Star Crossed Lovers Martini” are some ideas to spark your creativity. 


• New cocktail items – Create Valentine’s Day-only cocktails. The limited edition menu item will create urgency and drive sales. It can be a new take on an old classic, like adding cinnamon to a brandy old-fashioned, finding a new way to use tequila or creating a new recipe from scratch.

How can I Advertise my Restaurant on Valentine’s Day? 

Participating in all these lovely Valentine’s Day promotions ideas will all be for naught if you don’t get the word out. Start advertising your Valentine’s Day specials as early as January to give yourself enough time to run the ads.

• Take advantage of social media – Social media is a free way to market your restaurant for Valentine’s Day. Utilize all platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, etc. to reach the most amount of people. Don’t forget to come up with a catchy Valentine’s Day caption for your restaurant to tag on all your posts.


• Run an email campaign – Another free but underutilized advertising medium is email. Include a memorable subject line, and be sure to include a few promotional photos as well.


• Advertise within your restaurant – To target your regulars, put up table signs with your upcoming Valentine’s Day promos. If your restaurant has a prominent window, you can hang a poster or a flier to catch the attention of passersby.


• Update your website – Your restaurant website needs to stay up to date on any promotions you are running for the holiday. You can post promotional information and graphics so customers can see ahead of time.


• Raffles and giveaways – Think about a valentine’s raffle to set hearts beating. Raffle tickets can be bought separately or go off of menu purchases. Offering a festive prize for the raffle can help sell tickets to couples and families looking to enjoy their day.

Don’t let broken equipment stop the love from flowing in your restaurant. Parts Town has the most in-stock OEM parts on the planet to repair everything from commercial fryers to industrial ovens.