Small businesses feeling the love ahead of Valentine’s Day

Local business feel the love as Valentine’s Day approaches.

It turns out couples aren’t the only ones struck by cupid’s arrow this Valentine’s Day.

Small businesses in the Halifax area are also feeling the love. The special day is a welcome celebration in what is traditionally a quieter time of year for many businesses.

“January especially is always so much slower, so February it’s nice to get ramped up again and back into the swing of things,” said Michelle Kolich who owns Michelle Ashley’s Bakery.

The north end Halifax business was very busy on the eve of Valentine’s Day.

“It’s been so great. We’ve been seeing everybody coming in buying cakes, chocolates, baked goods, you name it, we have been selling it, and it’s been fantastic,” she said.

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, her bakery has a number of special items for sale.

“We have our Valentine’s cupcakes, of course, with some lovely rosettes. Some different, fun flavours. Our raspberry almond crumble. We also have our fun Valentine’s Day chocolates, so we have our heart shaped lollipops, our chocolate ‘Bearnard’ the bear,” said Kolich.

Restaurants are also gearing up for a busy weekend.

“We’ve been pretty well booked out on the Saturday for a while now,” said Doug Townsend, who co-owns The Canteen on Portland in Dartmouth with his wife Renée Lavallée.

“Both Friday and Sunday have kind of filled up as well, so it’s a busy one. We’ve got three full days of lovebirds coming to enjoy themselves and have a great meal.”

While Townsend will be hard at work through the weekend helping ensure couples have a nice meal, he said he’s looking forward to it.

“I’m excited this weekend because I get to work with my wife, who is my Valentine, and we get to work but we also get to enjoy ourselves as well. So, we’ll probably find a place to enjoy and have a great meal as well,” he said.

Celebratory spending

As people look to spoil their loved ones, businesses have seen the benefits. To get a better sense of how much people spend on Valentine’s Day, Moneris looked at data from Feb. 14 and compared it to spending on Feb. 7.

Last year in Atlantic Canada, there was a 311 per cent week over week increase in spending at florists. Restaurants saw an uptick of 44 per cent on Valentine’s Day compared to the week prior.

“Moneris data illustrates that Canadians are investing more in Valentine’s Day experiences. Last year, total Canadian spend grew over 20 per cent compared to 2024, with restaurant spending climbing nearly 22 per cent, highlighting how dining out remains a cornerstone of this event while other celebrations continue to expand,” said Sean McCormick, the vice president of business development with Moneris, in a news release.

Nationally, grocery stores saw an 88 per cent increase on Valentine’s Day suggesting some people were celebrating at home.

“With this event falling on a Saturday this year, and as it continues to evolve beyond a traditional dinner for two to include friends, family and at-home celebrations, businesses should expect that late-stage momentum to carry into 2026,” said McCormick.

New business boost

For new businesses in the region, Valentine’s Day is also appearing to provide a boost.

The Curious Goose Community Workshop, which offers woodworking and design classes, opened in January in downtown Dartmouth. On Friday, the workshop is giving lovebirds the chance to make something that will last a lifetime in the form of a heart-shaped charcuterie board.

“This is our first formal event for grown ups at the Goose, and we sold out which is really exciting,” said co-owner Dallas Hendricks.

The workshop is hosting a ‘Palentine’s DIY’ on Saturday, which still had some space as of Friday.

“A friend of ours had the great idea of making Valentine’s themed charcuterie boards, so we’ll have a kit here where folks can engrave their names into it with a woodburning kit,” said Hendricks.

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