TULSA, Okla. — Aside from Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day is the busiest night of the year for dining out in the U.S.
From shutdowns to supply chain issues, restaurants have dealt with blow after blow since 2019, but Tulsa business owners geared up for packed Valentine’s Day dinners Tuesday night.
At Lowood in Tulsa’s East Village, specials include lobster, scallops and filet mignon. Chef Trevor Tack says the restaurant aims at combining fine dining with fun.
“I don’t think you solve any of the world’s problems by putting a bunch of fancy words on the menu you don’t know,” Tack said.
Tack, an established chef in the Tulsa food scene says he feels Tulsa has bounced back.
“We’ve been busier now at Lowood than we’ve been since 2019 since we opened,” he said.
His observation is on point with industry experts. One researcher with the National Restaurant Association predicts 2023 to be the most “normal” year for restaurants since 2019.
At Lowood, reservations are encouraged to get a table on the weekends and staffing is up to speed.
“There at the end of it, we were done with the pandemic before the pandemic was done with us,” said Tack. “A lot of people changed fields; a lot of people just weren’t here.”
The Valentine’s Day business is big for the early-day menus as well. New York Bagel Café’s south Tulsa location attracts customers with themed, holiday treats. They dyed bagels red, pink and white and baked Valentine-colored cookies.
“In the morning, people take stuff to students and co-workers take them to work,” said Patrick Arend, co-owner.
The bagels are cooked using a bagel gel coloring. Regulars may notice a slightly different texture.
“They’re super soft,” said Arend. “We bake them a lot lower than normal so the color stays.”
They are only offered Feb. 13-14 but will be ready to go with green and gold bagels and cookies on St. Patrick’s Day. The National Retail Federation expects Valentine’s Day spending to reach nearly $26 billion, which would be one of the highest years on record.
On average, Americans are expected to shell out $192.80. That’s up roughly $17 from 2022.
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