{"id":112388,"date":"2026-02-12T21:21:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T21:21:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/112388\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T21:21:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T21:21:12","slug":"philly-restaurants-look-to-valentines-day-to-help-2026-winter-slump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/112388\/","title":{"rendered":"Philly restaurants look to Valentine\u2019s Day to help 2026 winter slump"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many Philly restaurants had to close their doors for a day or two in late January, thanks to the huge blizzard<\/a> that hit the Northeast U.S<\/a>. Weeks later, as we approach Valentine\u2019s Day, we\u2019re still waiting for the snow to melt<\/a>. So how are Philly restaurants holding up?<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the one-word phrase could be \u2018Oof!\u2019 The best way I can describe January so far: o-o-f,\u201d said Scott Calhoun, owner and executive chef at Ember & Ash<\/a> in East Passyunk. \u201cIt\u2019s been historically slow.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new year can be tough on restaurants because of cold weather and post-holiday fatigue. In some ways, Ember & Ash should be the perfect winter hideaway, with its wood-burning hearth and cozy bar.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always been slower in January, you know?\u201d Calhoun said. \u201cBut I think just this January in particular, with all the events lining the way they have, it\u2019s just been one week after another that has led to a lot of restaurants feeling the same \u2018oof\u2019 moment that I\u2019m describing \u2026 not hitting numbers that we need to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Scott and Lulu Calhoun, owners of Ember & Ash. (Photo by Mike Prince)<\/p>\n

Liz Kleppinger, general manager at Wilder<\/a> in Rittenhouse, echoed that dim outlook,\u00a0 but she said she\u2019s not surprised by a midwinter lull.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s always a little bit of a dip in between Restaurant Week<\/a> chaos and Valentine\u2019s Day,\u201d she said. \u201cSo, we\u2019re kind of in that dip right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, she said, 2026 started off with challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has definitely been a little bit slower, especially during that initial hit of the snow. We did end up closing on that Sunday [after the storm], and we took a half day on Monday,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople have been slowly trickling in,\u201d she added. \u201cBetween the snow and the zero-degree wind chill, that has definitely deterred some people from coming in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Can Valentine\u2019s turn things around?<\/p>\n

Valentine\u2019s Day isn\u2019t a federal holiday, but it is one of the most important days of the year for restaurants \u2014 and can help businesses get through a winter downturn. OpenTable<\/a> found restaurants around the U.S. saw a 43% increase in reservations on Feb. 14 in 2025 compared to the year prior.<\/p>\n

But even Valentine\u2019s isn\u2019t a guarantee of success, according to Ben Fileccia, senior vice president of strategy and engagement for the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association.<\/a> .\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cValentine\u2019s Day is falling on a Saturday night this year,\u201d Fileccia said.<\/p>\n

When Valentine\u2019s falls on a weekday, it can mean a big bump for an otherwise slow Tuesday or Wednesday, he said. \u201cThat\u2019s all of a sudden going to outperform your Saturday night,\u201d he explained. However, with the holiday falling on what is already the busiest day of the week this year, it may not provide as much of a boost.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t even count on Valentine\u2019s Day to help you through this rough time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

But the spirit of Valentine\u2019s Day doesn\u2019t have to be restricted to the 14th \u2014 especially as it expands to encompass concepts like Galentine\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s necessarily a negative thing that it\u2019s happening on Saturday,\u201d Kleppinger said. \u201cPeople are using the whole weekend to celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sunday brunch, she noted, is a great option for large Galentine\u2019s groups and couples looking for something different.<\/p>\n

Calhoun said he is still hoping for a Valentine\u2019s bump this weekend \u2014 and he said he encourages diners to come out on a different day if they can\u2019t score a table for Saturday.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re starting to see Friday stack up as well, in terms of reservations,\u201d he said. \u201cBecause some people are probably choosing to say, \u2018You know what? I can\u2019t get into where I want to eat on Saturday because every restaurant is booked. Let\u2019s just go out Friday.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n

Toast<\/a>, the software company behind a sales platform popular with restaurants, found that diners are more likely to order expensive menu items, like steak, have some extra wine, and opt for dessert on Valentine\u2019s Day. So even if a restaurant has the same volume of diners as on a typical Saturday night, those diners are expected to spend more.<\/p>\n

Getting creative<\/p>\n

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow earlier this month, so there\u2019s still more winter to get through. Restaurants may not want to count on extra Valentine\u2019s Day revenue to save them, so many around the city are getting creative about drawing people through their doors.<\/p>\n

James Nardone, chef and owner of Elma<\/a> in Fishtown, said that he has made his menu more accessible and appealing to customers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe changed from the tasting menu to \u00e0 la carte,\u201d Nardone said. \u201cI think we\u2019re definitely trying our best to put things on the menu that are new, that aren\u2019t too adventurous for people. We\u2019re just doing things that are exciting and fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even through the beginning of January, Elma has consistently had packed tables. The goal is to be consistent with service while getting inventive.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had some really nice folks come in and say some really nice things about the restaurant recently,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re fully booked right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Likewise, Kleppinger said that Wilder has relied on its happy hour crowd and larger group events to help ride out the winter, and she is revamping the menu to keep people coming in.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are doing a rebrand of our happy hour starting today,\u201d she said. \u201cI know there\u2019s an uptick of amazing happy hours in the city, but specifically in Rittenhouse, so we\u2019ve got to keep it fresh for the competition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Calhoun has added new deals to get diners excited about Ember & Ash. One includes $30 all-you-can-eat mussels on Thursdays with toasted Mighty Bread Co. sourdough on the side.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re doing two different flavors. One is more like a traditional French-leaning \u2026 just like a real classic,\u201d he explained. \u201cAnd then the other one, that\u2019s going to be more of a mainstay, will be like a red Thai coconut curry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"All-you-can-eat mussels from Ember & Ash. (Photo by Mike Prince)<\/p>\n

Ember & Ash will also offer an \u201cadult happy meal\u201d Wednesdays at their bar for $24. Calhoun said the idea was all his wife and business partner Lulu\u2019s. It includes a cheeseburger or a Korean-spice fried chicken sandwich, fries and an alcoholic beverage \u2014 a beer or glass of sparkling wine.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s kind of a fun idea, that little nostalgia. These are the things that people are looking for these days. You know, everyone remembers when they were a kid and went and got a happy meal. Obviously the best part was the prize. But for the adult happy meal, you get a beverage with it,\u201d Calhoun said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever we can do to get a few more seats filled in,\u201d he added. \u201cEspecially, the bar and just making it look a little more lively, so that as people walk by, you kind of capture their eye.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Many Philly restaurants had to close their doors for a day or two in late January, thanks to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":112389,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[60,53709,53710,564,1515,20907,69,71,70,244,14834,39210,53711,29480,53712],"class_list":["post-112388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-philadelphia","tag-business","tag-elma","tag-ember-ash","tag-featured","tag-food","tag-holiday-shopping","tag-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia-headlines","tag-philadelphia-news","tag-restaurants","tag-snow","tag-valentines-day","tag-wilder","tag-winter-2026","tag-winter-blizzard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112388"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112388\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/112389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}