Sure, they’ll be packed on Valentine's Day (in my opinion the absolutely worst night of the year to go out), but for restaurant owners the business is only a mixed blessing. Any Saturday is the busiest night of the week - much better to have Feb. 14 fall in the middle of the week, especially during a recession. From the OC Register:

Annika Stensson, a spokeswoman for The National Restaurant Association, said the weekend is shaping up to be a good one. "I believe we'll see full dining rooms on Feb. 14, which is a good thing on any day in this economy," Stensson said. Still, some restaurants with a more loyal following see the weekend as a bust. "Having Valentine's Day on another day would have been better," said Thad Foret, general manager of Antonello Ristorante near South Coast Plaza. "It is what it is."

[CUT]

The full-service sector, hardest hit by the recession, reported 2008 sales of $148.6 billion, a 2.5 percent drop compared to 2007, according to Chicago-based Technomic. For 2009, revenue at sit-down restaurants is expected to decrease 6 percent as diners continue to trade-down to cheaper eats. As a result, Technomic stated that "2009 will be the worst year for foodservice" since 1972 — the first year the consulting firm began tracking restaurant industry sales.