U.S. retailers and restaurateurs are expecting high upcoming seafood sales as the 40-day Lenten season kicks off the same day as Valentine’s Day on 14 February.
“There is normally a bump for seafood on Valentine’s Day, but with Lent on top of that, it should be a banner week for seafood,” Jason Resner, the meat and seafood sales, merchandising, and procurement lead for Downers Grove, Illinois, U.S.A.-based retailer Fresh Thyme, told SeafoodSource.
Fresh Thyme, a retailer with approximately 75 locations primarily in the U.S. Midwest, is among several retailers offering mid-February deals. The retailer is promoting snow crab clusters for USD 5.99 (EUR 5.57) a pound, colossal 6/9 count king crab legs for USD 32.99 (EUR 30.59) per pound, buy-one-get-one (BOGO) free cooked shrimp rings, and other seafood specials as both holidays get underway.
Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.A.-based The Fresh Market, meanwhile, is offering a Valentine’s deal designed for couples that includes a choice of any two options between chateaubriand filet mignon, ultimate lump crab cakes, or wild North Atlantic lobster tail for USD 59.99 (EUR 55.70). The retailer is also offering BOGO heart-shaped crab cakes for a limited time.
Lakeland, Florida, U.S.A.-based Publix, which has been running weekly seafood promotions at “aggressive price points,” Seafood Director Guy Pizzuti told SeafoodSource, is featuring items for Valentine’s Day including lobster tails, crab, and cooked shrimp.
Publix’s current marketing efforts tout a “romantic dinner for two,” featuring tenderloin steak for USD 26.99 (EUR 25.03) per pound paired with a 3-ounce lobster tail for USD 6.99 (EUR 6.50). It is also offering BOGO cooked shrimp platters.
Overall Valentine’s Day spending in the U.S. is expected to reach a record USD 14.2 billion (EUR 13.2 billion) in 2024, according to an annual survey conducted by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights and Analytics. Consumers expect to spend USD 185.81 (EUR 172.35) each on average, nearly USD 8.00 (EUR 7.42) more than average Valentine’s Day spending over the last five years, the NRF said in a press release.
To take advantage of the increase in Valentine’s Day spending, many restaurant chains are following in retailers’ footsteps by offering specials. For instance, Tampa, Florida, U.S.A.-based Bonefish Grill is touting its Rockefeller butterfish dish, along with filet del mar, through 19 February.
Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.-based seafood bar Ivar’s is offering unique Valentine’s Day menus from 14 to 17 February at each of its restaurant brands, including Acres of Clams, Salmon House, and Mukilteo Landing. Among the featured dishes are king salmon, halibut, king crab, lobster risotto, oysters, surf ‘n turf, and crab-stuffed mushrooms.
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.A.-based O’Charley’s Restaurant and Bar is promoting a Valentine’s Day Dinner for Two for USD 45 (EUR 42). The meal includes a choice of spinach and artichoke dip or spicy jack cheese wedge appetizers, as well as a choice of two entrees from a list that includes cedar plank salmon; a seafood combo platter with Atlantic cod, buttermilk-fried shrimp, and stuffed crab; and lobster and shrimp scampi.
Maggiano’s Little Italy, based in Dallas, Texas, U.S.A., will have several seafood specials for Valentine’s Day, including some to be offered through February, such as a shrimp parmesan appetizer and a salmon Oscar entree, in addition to beef options.
“There will be plenty of options to choose from, including starters like mozzarella marinara and calamari fritté [and] hearty mains such as blackened salmon with crispy Calabrian shrimp,” Maggiano’s said.
Morton’s, a chain based in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., is advertising a “romantic dinner for two” from 9 to 17 February, which includes twin cold-water lobster tails, bone-in New York strip steak, and crab imperial.
NOAA is even getting in on Valentine’s Day marketing action by offering educational materials on how to have a sustainable seafood date night, as well as other campaigns such as printable Valentine’s cards and a Marine Debris Program’s guide to Valentine’s Day.
Photo courtesy of Maggiano’s Little Italy
