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SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Restaurants across the Bay Area are prepping for a very busy Valentine’s Day weekend. It comes as experts say couples are expected to spend more on this holiday than in past years.<\/p>\n
Some eateries booked solid for Valentine’s Day <\/p>\n
Inside Original Joe’s in San Francisco’s North Beach, it may be Friday the 13th, but they’re feeling lucky on this day before Valentine’s Day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Coming off of last week, having the Super Bowl in San Francisco, to back it up with Valentine’s Day and Presidents’ Day weekend, just an incredible one-two punch,” Original Joe’s owner John Duggan said.<\/p>\n
Duggan says they’re booked solid, and with Valentine’s Day falling on a Saturday, they’re preparing for an influx of lovebirds all weekend.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“This is a special on Valentine’s Day. It’s a red velvet butter cake,” chef Andre Domiciano said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No doubt they’ll be serving up plenty of those cakes this weekend, as a CouponFollow survey finds a romantic dinner is the top Valentine’s Day gift this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“We’re really humbled by that, and I think all restaurants are. When people come and celebrate a special day, one of the gifts of being in this business is you get to enjoy those moments with them. So we take it serious,” Duggan said.<\/p>\n
Valentine’s Day spending projected to hit new record <\/p>\n
From dinners to flowers to candy to jewelry, the National Retail Federation projects Americans will spend an average of $199.78 on their partner this Valentine’s Day, a new record and up nearly $11 from last year’s average of $188.81.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Some couples we spoke to\u2014like Gabriel Nuno and Diane Arambula, who are spending their first Valentine’s Day together\u2014say it’s money well spent on that special someone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What they’re saying:<\/p>\n
“If you’re with the person you love, it’s kind of worth it,” Nuno said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“It’s a nice thing to do. You feel good doing it for the person you love. It’s really nice,” Arambula said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Jeff and Linette Librum, who have been married for 43 years, say there’s some truth to the old clich\u00e9 \u2018it\u2019s the thought that counts’.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“I would rather that he get me a card and write something personal in it, or write me a letter, something that I can keep,” Linette Librum said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“As long we’re together and do something simple, we’re happy with that,” Jeff Librum said.<\/p>\n
Is Valentine’s Day for the dogs?\u00a0 <\/p>\n
People aren’t just spending money on their partners this Valentine’s Day. 35% of consumers plan to get Valentine’s Day gifts for their pets this year, according to the National Retail Federation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Source: Interviews by KTVU’s John Krinjak, with survey information from the National Retail Federation and CouponFollow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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