Valentine's Day Benefits Local Shops, Restaurants

Author: Megan MichelsonLocal News Editor

Middlebury businesses are preparing for a busy and romantic holiday this Valentine's Day. Last minute gift shopping for that special someone and dinner reservations for parties of two are keeping local shops and restaurants bustling to schedule plenty of employees and stock Valentine's Day items in anticipation of this Thursday.

Campus Flowers, a full-service florist in downtown Middlebury, is expecting an increase in employee activity and sales for Valentine's Day. The store offers a variety of items for the romantic holiday, ranging in prices and style. Bob Pinto, co-owner of Campus Flowers said, "We have accessories and special gifts for girls that are not in the vein of everyday gifts." These include porcelain hearts, sterling silver heart pins and slate heart magnets. In addition, the store is selling deluxe sweets from Vermont company Luna Chocolates that specializes in elegant packaging and exotic items such as chocolate covered apricots and truffles.

Of course, Campus Flowers also has a wide variety of flowers. This includes a stock of 5,000 roses of different colors and types. "We pride ourselves in getting roses from the best grower in the country and as a result they last unusually long," explained Pinto. A dozen long stemmed boxed roses costs $59.99, and they can also be purchased individually. The store sells carnations, tulips and daffodils as well, which are ideal for less expensive Valentine's bouquets.

"Roses are the most popular flowers by far, but we offer something for everyone," said Deb Pinto, co-owner of Campus Flowers. A gift arranged inside a balloon costs between $30 and $40, which Pinto called, "an affordable, out of the ordinary gift option."

Campus Flowers expects an influx of customers and business transactions on Thursday, which reflect rising sales in past years on and around Feb. 14. The store purchased $5,000 worth of Valentine's accessories, an amount that was estimated based on sales averages from previous years. Although the entire January sales at the store totaled $12,000, they are expecting to make upwards of $6,000 on Valentine's Day. There will be three vans delivering gifts and flowers, compared to the normal one. All 12 employees will be working in the shop, as opposed to the typical day when two employees are on shift at a time.

Deb Pinto, who has owned the store with her husband for 12 years, described the store on Valentine's Days in the past as "a mad house!"

Last year, when Valentine's fell on a Wednesday, the store totaled $6,000 in sales and recorded 289 customers. Although the sales vary depending on the day of the week on which Valentine's Day occurs, this year the owners are predicting an additional impact on sales due to the struggling economy. "The economy is going to make a difference. There has been a slight decrease, not in the number of customers but in the amount each customer is spending," said Deb Pinto.

The high demand for dinner reservations shows that Valentine's Day isn't all love and romance for local restaurant owners and managers who claim Feb. 14 is one of the busiest days of the year.

Local restaurants are feeling the pressure of an increase in business on Thursday night, since eating out is a popular choice for couples. Fire and Ice in Middlebury has reservations for about 350 people as of now, with the only remaining tables open at 4:30 p.m. "Last year, we had 414 people join us for dinner. Many of which were marriage proposals and wedding anniversaries," said Paris Rimder-Goddard, dining room manager.

The small dining area at the Waybury Inn in East Middlebury is nearly full as well. Claudia Riley, guest service manager, counted a total of 30 parties for the evening, most of them groups of two. "This is typical for Valentine's Day, although when it falls on a Friday or Saturday we're normally busier," said Riley.

Tully and Marie's in Middlebury will be experiencing only its second Valentine's Day since the restaurant's opening. Reservations are still available for most of the evening and the manager expects most customers to be walk-ins.

The Starry Night Café in Ferrisburg is a popular place for romantic dinners, and its completely booked reservation list proves that this Valentine's Day is no different than last year's, also a full house at the restaurant. There are over 100 customers, almost all parties of two, with tables reserved for this Thursday, and more on a waiting list.