Do Valentine Oysters Make Restaurants Smile?

 Love is in the air, but is it spreading its arms around local restaurants too?

Do Cape restaurants Get a bump on Valentines Day?

07 February 2025 - WELLFLEET, MA - Love is in the air, but is it spreading its arms around local restaurants in that epicenter of oyster culture, Wellfleet? And is it providing an opportunity for the Cape's restaurant industry during a traditionally slow season?

On Cape Cod, in the epicenter of oyster country, Wellfleet restaurants say they feel positive about the holiday and the bump it gives to the Cape Cod restaurant industry. "Its a major holiday for restaurants" said Sebastien Taffara, general manager of The Wicked Oyster. "We see it in our reservation.  We get a 50-60 boost in our reservations."

What do restaurants expect for this Valentines Day?

This year may turn out especially fortuitous for restaurants, in part because the holiday falls on a Friday. Chef Garret Smythe says that can create an extra pop because people tend to eat out more often on a weekend than a weekday.

February also represents one of the slowest parts of the year for Cape restaurants, so the boost comes at time of greatest need. Over the past several decades, the Valentine's dining experience  morphed from tables-for-two into more of a gathering day, with tables, of 4, 6, and 8 increasingly common, which also helps the seasonal bottom line.

An added oyster boost?

Purveyors of the alleged aphrodisiac bi-valve get an extra leg up too. Popular holiday orders inlcudue oysters, sharable items, and extra desert sales, says chef Smythe who expects his restaurant to see increased order in both oysters and sweet treats.

While the myth of the love factor of the oyster itself might remain unproven, the love that the holiday brings for local restaurants proves itself over and over every year. "It is  a good step toward gearing up toward a new season, said Taffar, "It is a beach of hope for the spring."