TAMPA, Fla. — Roses are red, violets are blue, and businesses in the Tampa Bay area are prepping for Valentine’s Day right along with you.
“We’re always just pumping out flowers," said Shelbie Martinez, the owner of Stunning Flowers by Shelbie in Tampa.
It’s not February 14th without a beautiful bouquet.
Martinez said Valentine’s Day is pretty busy, with orders coming in last minute.
“We’ll have customers calling tomorrow. Hey, I need a flower delivery," said Martinez.
The National Retail Federation predicts total spending on significant others for Valentine’s Day this year to top out at about $14 billion. A survey found consumers expect to spend about $185 each on average, with candy, cards, and jewelry among the top gifts.
“It does get a little hectic on Valentine’s Day when the phone doesn’t stop, and like I said, we try to meet everybody’s needs as best as possible," said Martinez.
Nothing says full of love, like being full of food. Restaurants across the Tampa Bay Area are also gearing up for the holiday.
Joe Dyer, the general manager at Union New American in Tampa, said they’re fully booked for Valentine’s Day.
“It takes a lot of preparation, hard work, and you obviously want to make sure that you have both the front of the house and the back of the house coordinated," said Dyer. "We do a tasting beforehand of what we want to feature for Valentine's."
The restaurant was inspired by Romeo and Juliet for cocktails, of course, with perfectly paired food.
“They should expect delicious food. These items will be on the menu for Valentine’s Day, but the specials are going to be what I would call a little bit more upscale than what we’re doing, fine touch," said Daniel De Vino, the Executive Sous Chef at Union New American. "Everything's coming off the grill, so it's going to have that special touch of smoke."
