ST. LOUIS — As temperatures drop in the St. Louis region, dining rooms in St. Louis County are reaching new highs.
Cafe Napoli in downtown Clayton is one of many restaurants expecting an influx of customers Valentine’s Day weekend.
“Everyone celebrates starting Thursday,” said co-owner Kye Pietoso. “It’s Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, which is perfect on a COVID Valentine’s Day because it spread everything out.”
After serving the St. Louis area for more than 30 years, Pietoso said a reservation is a key ingredient in the recipe for romance this Valentine’s Day.
“Everyone knows the limited capacity, so a lot of people get ahead of the game,” he said. “And the ones who don’t are going to be in trouble.”
Dave Rogers, a regular customer at Cafe Napoli, was in trouble up until a few days prior to the holiday.
“My wife said she called everywhere, and everywhere was booked,” he said.
However, his luck changed after St. Louis County Executive Dr. Sam Page announced county restaurants could increase their capacity from 25 to 50 percent.
Many restaurants opened tables at the last minute, including Cafe Napoli. Rogers scored a prime-time reservation for the Saturday before Valentine’s Day with days to spare.
“We were not successful in getting reservations initially, so this helped. Honestly, it was a relief,” he said.
However, this was one of just a few newly-opened slots.
“It gave us more tables, but it’s not really what we need to get on track,” explained Pietoso.
It’s the larger restaurants, like Cannoli’s in Florissant, that will benefit more from the increased capacity. The north St. Louis County Italian cuisine staple is now able to open its banquet room to seat more customers while still maintaining the required six feet between tables.
Owner Abby Freesmeier called it a huge win for her business. She will be able to seat an additional 30 customers each night.
“Besides the fact that we’re able to accommodate more people, our staff is able to take more tables and make more money,” she said.
While reservations are still in high demand this year, date nights are a reminder that Valentine’s Day isn’t necessarily an overly commercial holiday.
“I think everyone appreciates things more,” said Freesmeier. “Everyone’s more happy and thankful. They’re just appreciative to be out of their house.”
Pietoso, the Cafe Napoli co-owner, agreed.
“Our customers and their loyalty are incredible."
And people dining out will use the evening to cherish the people, places and local businesses they love.
“When there’s been so many nights over and over with COVID, going out is amazing,” said Rogers. “Over the past couple of months, you’re looking for any reason to celebrate.”
