Whether going out with friends or significant others, many people are spending Valentine’s Day with loved ones by going out.
Shazah Khawaja was out at the village in Arroyo Grande Saturday morning.
“Oh, it's so lovely,” Khawaja said. “Everyone's so friendly. Everyone's so happy today.”
The Village in Arroyo Grande celebrated Valentine’s Day with decorations and love-themed sales… which led to busy streets.
The Mule Bakery took advantage of the holiday by inviting a local florist to their coffee shop.
Wendy Martinez was arranging and selling bouquets for people who stopped by her pop-up shop on Friday and Saturday.
“I love being out here because I'm a people person and I love talking to people,” Martinez said. “I've gotten to meet so many people today.”
At least 50 people showed up and purchased a flower arrangement.
By collaborating with Mule Bakery, Martinez believes both businesses benefited from the holiday – and so did the customers.
“There's been a consistent line today and lots of people, coming and going and talking,” she said. “It’s been great weather, and it's been a lot of fun.”
While the bakery woke up with people in Arroyo Grande, other restaurants spent the day prepping for the dinner rush.
Luca’s deli and wine created a custom menu for customers with evening reservations, including lobster caught in Santa Barbara personally by their chef and owner, Genuino Dalo.
“We don't have really an official kitchen, we have to sneak around this little prep area in the dish room here, and we have an area where we have to like, try to squeeze in between,” Dalo said.
The restaurant occupies a small space at the front of the Village. Dalo said the employees were packed pretty tightly together while they spent most of Saturday morning and afternoon getting ready for the special dinner service. He said the effort will be worth it once they see those satisfied customers.
“We're used to the challenge and making it hard on ourselves because it's going to be delicious,” Dalo said.
