With Valentine’s Day spending set to top $20 billion this year, according to the National Retail Foundation, U.S. date-goers are collectively expected to spend $3.5 billion on dining out on the romantic holiday.
But with dozens of local options, choosing an appropriate eatery for your special someone can be a tough affair. So Business First turned to review website Yelp for some help.
Check out our slideshow of the top romantic restaurants in the Albuquerque area, ranked four stars or higher on Yelp.
Data from the NRF shows that while spending on the holiday is up, the amount of people celebrating is falling. The average per person spending on Valentine’s Day this year is expected to be nearly $162, according to the report, which is 11 percent higher than in 2017. The survey also says that men, on average, spend over double what women do, and that those between the ages of 35 and 44 are the largest Valentine’s Day spenders.
Womply research shows that New Mexico restaurants during last year’s holiday saw a four percent decrease in transaction volume and a 12 percent increase in revenue over an average day in 2018. Comparatively, St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco de Mayo are more lucrative days for local restaurants.