What America Eats on Valentine’s Day

Valentine's Day is reportedly the second-busiest day for restaurants in America, next to Mother's Day: In 2014, Americans spent about $7 million at restaurants. And the average cost of eating out this year will be anywhere between $87 to $287 per couple. It might be hard to say with certainty exactly how everyone eats on the Feast of Saint Valentine, but a peek at social data trends offers some clues.

Eater looked at Google Trends data and reached out both to food delivery service GrubHub and search and discovery app Foursquare to understand how Americans eat on Valentine's Day. One thing that stands out about American Valentine's Day dinners is that, at least for couples, they are not very American at all: Data shows that couples prefer international Valentine dishes instead. Dinners for singles, on the other hand, are as American as they can get, filled with fatty indulgences.

Couples prefer international dishes on Valentine’s Day, while singles order up comfort-food favorites.

On Foursquare, French, Spanish, and Italian restaurants have some the largest swings in foot traffic on Valentine's Day, compared to any other day in 2015, on average. People are 1.7 times more likely to report visiting French restaurants on the holiday, while users are 1.5 times more likely to visit Spanish and Italian restaurants. Steakhouses and wineries, classic choices, are also popular.

People are also searching for information about these restaurants more often around Valentine's Day. Google Trends data shows that French and Italian restaurants had the biggest increases in search popularity since 2010, compared to other restaurants.

Meanwhile, French, paella, and sushi restaurants are some of the most "romantic" options, according to new Foursquare data — the app's "most romantic places" data shows that men and women use the words "romantic," "intimate," and "candlelight" to describe said restaurants more than other kinds of dining spots. Also on the list were sake bars and speakeasies.

Photo: oxyzay/Shutterstock

But several reports show that while Valentine's Day is one of the busiest days for restaurants, most people don't dine out on that day. According to the restaurant reservation app Reserve, only 25 percent of Americans will celebrate at a restaurant this year. That means couples spending the evening inside may choose to cook or order delivery.

On GrubHub, orders for sushi rolls, shrimp, and Indian food have some of the biggest spikes on Valentine’s Day.

The ones that choose delivery apparently have a preference for heart-shaped sushi and other Eastern dishes. Asian cuisine, especially Chinese food, is popular throughout the year, but orders on GrubHub for sushi rolls, shrimp, and Indian food have some of the biggest spikes on Valentine's Day, compared to other dishes. As a whole, sushi orders increase 15 percent on the site. The more "romantic" and festive the sushi, the more popular. The most popular GrubHub item on February 14 is the heart-shaped Valentine sushi roll, which users are four times more likely to order on Valentine's Day than on the same weekday of another week. The similarly shaped "sweetheart roll" has the third-highest spike in orders.

GrubHub also looked at orders made specifically for two people on Valentine's Day and found that dragon rolls, along with Indian spinach dishes palak paneer and saag paneer, have the highest spikes, with more than three times as many orders on Valentine's Day than on typical days. And even though Asian-themed restaurants aren't among the most popular Google searches around Valentine's Day, searches specifically for "sushi" peak every year around the holiday.

Sushi searches jump every year around Valentine's Day

For those who prefer to spend the evening with a group of friends, they can still enjoy romantic, yet platonic, atmospheres. Foursquare data on users' top romantic places revealed the most "platonic" places men and women also find romantic. These are places referred to as "romantic" and "intimate," but not as much as French and sushi restaurants, making them cozy, yet fun places for friends to go on Valentine's. Topping that list were corporate cafeterias, frozen yogurt, and beer gardens.

But many people are spending Valentine's Day alone, and it appears — at least for the ones who use ordering apps like GrubHub — many plan to spend the day pigging out on wings, waffle fries, and pizza rolls. GrubHub data shows that singles are more likely to order these indulgent delights on Valentine's Day than couples.