Fun fact: At OpenTable, Valentine’s Day is our most booked day of the year — so we know how important it is for restaurants, too. We took a look at last year’s numbers for this oh-so-romantic night to find out how people really celebrate. Check out the charts below for some V-day trends and insights.
V-DAY RESERVATIONS
Valentine’s Day fell on a Sunday last year, which took weekend business to the next level. Covers were up a staggering 520% over the average Sunday before the holiday!
TABLES FOR 2 (OR MORE)
Last year 79% of all Valentine’s Day reservations booked via OpenTable were for parties of two, down slightly from 81% in 2015. No surprise there. But what is interesting is that the percentage of party sizes over two has grown over the past few years, as reflected in the graph above. From 2014 to 2015 we saw a 26% increase for groups of three or more, and between 2015 and 2016 the number grew another 15%. Here’s to Galentine’s Day.
ON THE GO
Mobile Valentine’s Day bookings have grown significantly over the past four years, from 24% in 2013 to 45% in 2016. Considering that half of all OpenTable reservations are now booked on mobile, looks like smartphones are just as useful for special occasions as they are for the everyday meal.
PLANNING AHEAD
On average, reservations for V-Day 2016 were booked 10 days in advance — special planning required for a special night. 43% of Valentine’s Day reservations were booked in the week leading up to the holiday, with another 16% booked on Valentine’s Day itself, so it’s a good idea to continue to list the tables you have available as the date approaches.
Another tidbit: the first OpenTable reservation for Valentine’s Day 2016 was booked on Valentine’s Day 2015, a full year ahead. Now that’s commitment.