Philadelphia restaurants adjust as Eagles Super Bowl parade lands on Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day is typically one of the busiest nights for Philadelphia restaurants, but this year, it's sharing the spotlight with another major event — the Eagles' Super Bowl parade.
With the victory celebration scheduled for Friday, some fine dining establishments are making quick adjustments, while bars near the parade route anticipate a surge in business.
At P.J. Clarke's in Old City, staff members were busy Wednesday confirming Valentine's Day reservations.
"We have people who come here year after year after year to celebrate with us," general manager Tim Killeen said.
Restaurants like his count on Valentine's Day as one of their most profitable nights, so when staff learned it would coincide with the Super Bowl parade, their initial reaction was surprise.
"The instant reaction was — that's, you know, that's Valentine's Day," Killeen said.
To adapt, P.J. Clarke's is launching happy hour two hours earlier, at 3 p.m., to catch the post-parade crowd.
"We want to kind of be the best of both worlds," Killeen said.
They'll still offer Valentine's Day food and drink specials, but they're extending them through Sunday to accommodate couples who reschedule their romantic plans. Killeen hopes that if people decide to cancel, they'll notify the restaurant in advance.
"Restaurants are staffing for these things. They are preparing for them. They want to make sure that they have the food ordered … so last-minute cancellations are what could really hurt a restaurant," he said.
Kory Aversa, owner and CEO of Aversa PR, said many of his clients have the same concern. Aversa works with hundreds of restaurants each year between direct clients, restaurant groups and food districts in Philadelphia.
"About two weeks ago in 'PR Land,' we were sold out,'" Aversa said. "We were promoting things well behind Valentine's Day."
However, Aversa said the focus suddenly shifted when the team's post-Super Bowl celebration was announced.
"We're so excited for the Eagles — we crushed it!" he said. "But when the news came out that [the parade] was Friday, that raised a concern for people."
He predicts some people will skip coming into Philly from the suburbs for their evening Valentine's plans, which could take a serious toll. He encourages people to support their local restaurants by rescheduling their reservations if they decide to cancel.
"That single day carries a lot of them through January, February, March when it's slower and wintry," Aversa said. "A lot of them rely on that day to make up for it."
READ MORE: Philadelphia Eagles 2025 Super Bowl parade route, timing, road closures and more
He said the scheduling won't affect all restaurants equally.
"If you're near Broad Street, if you're a sports bar, if you are a casual restaurant, you are going to do great," he said.
That's the case for bars like Cherry Street Tavern in Logan Square. For the cozy corner bar three blocks from the parade route, the celebration is a welcome boost. Bartender Kira Baldwin said the 2018 Eagles parade was one of their busiest days ever.
"That was one of our biggest shifts here in the time that these owners have owned it, which has been since the '90s," Baldwin said.
Her mother, a 30-year employee of Cherry Street Tavern, can attest to its impact.
"She definitely said that was the most money she had ever made in a shift in her time here at Cherry Street," Baldwin said.
This Friday, staff will arrive before 6 a.m. to prepare sandwiches and open the bar early.
"If you want to grab a beer at 8 a.m., Friday's your chance," Baldwin said.
Despite the scheduling challenge, Killeen believes restaurant workers across the city can still find the silver lining.
"The vibe inside all of the restaurants in the city and the suburbs were off the wall, so you have to take the good with the bad," he said. "We're seeing a lot of good passion going on right now, and we just want to ride it."
