Eagles Parade Intercepts Valentine’s Day: Here’s How to Plan Your Night Accordingly
From last-minute cancellations to commuting chaos, the Eagles parade creates a wild card Valentine's Day for Philly diners.
Scenes from the Eagles Super Bowl win February 4, 2018 (Photograph by Kae Lani Palmisano) | A cocktail and rose from Mamajuana Cafe (Photograph courtesy of Mamajuana Cafe)
Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday once every few years. But the statistical probability of Valentine’s Day landing on a Friday and coinciding with the Eagles Super Bowl parade? That is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.
It is, indeed, exciting. Philadelphia is the center of the sports universe once again. But a lot of people, from folks with coveted Valentine’s Day reservations to restaurant industry workers, are worried about the logistical challenges the parade presents.
On Tuesday morning, Mayor Cherelle Parker addressed these concerns, declaring, “Nothing will interfere with our restaurant reservations on that evening.” Regardless of Parker’s E-L-G-S-E-S-level of confidence that things will run smoothly Friday, it’s difficult to know whether Valentine’s Day will be a boom or bust for restaurants, and we won’t know for certain until all is said and done.
Here’s what we do know. Some restaurants have confirmed that they’ve seen a few cancellations since the parade was announced, but in some cases, those reservations are getting picked up again in what chef Townsend Wentz describes as “a little bit of musical chairs.” Across his restaurant group, which includes Oloroso, Townsend, A Mano, Oltremare, and Caribou Café, he’s been seeing reservations going up and down. “People are canceling and rebooking based on convenience and challenges depending on their particular situation,” he says. We’ve been observing the same thing here at Philly Mag. As senior reporter Victor Fiorillo mentioned in his column on Tuesday, we’ve been conducting a “thoroughly unscientific survey of the restaurant reservation apps Resy and OpenTable” and have seen reservations come and go all week at spots like Kalaya, Suraya, Amada, and High Street.
So, if you forgot to make dinner reservations for Valentine’s Day, this could be your chance to swoop in and snag a last-minute table. Today is prime time to check platforms like Resy, OpenTable, and Tock. In our July 2024 issue, frequent restaurant-goer Sharon Thompson-Schill said she sees tables open up 24 to 48 hours before, indicating that folks tend to cancel when they get those text reminders to avoid paying no-show fees.
Scene from the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl parade / Photograph courtesy of Alex Brandon/Associated Press
Cancellations aren’t the only concern for restaurants. Even the most well-meaning of patrons who intend to keep their reservations may run into problems along the way. The festivities will wrap up around 3:15 p.m., but that’s cutting it pretty darn close for both diners and industry workers who have to navigate through a sea of fans. And public transit running on special schedules across the region will make things even more of a headache.
Chef Dane Demarco of Gass & Main in Haddonfield says they’ve planned a carpool for their staff, a majority of whom commute from Philly and Camden via PATCO. For a majority of the day, PATCO won’t even be stopping in Haddonfield. From 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., service will only be running westbound, stopping at Lindenwold, Woodcrest, Ferry Avenue, and City Hall in New Jersey and only 9/10th & Locust Street in Philly before switching over at 1 p.m. to eastbound-only. Normal service is expected to resume around 7 p.m.
Closing for the afternoon isn’t an option for the Gass & Main team. Demarco says they had too many brunch reservations to close for the afternoon. “On a positive note, it’s spaghetti sandwich day, and we can’t let the parade get in the way of that,” says Demarco.
And that right there is the true spirit of Philadelphia. We are determined. We roll with the punches. If there’s one thing we learned about restaurants during the pandemic, it’s that they adapt. And if you’re planning to venture out for a Valentine’s Day dinner, you’re going to have to adapt, too. Here’s a quick rundown on what you need to know so it’s a win-win for everyone.
Plan Your Route
Eagles fans after the Super Bowl giving us a taste of what to expect at the Super Bowl parade on Friday in Philadelphia (photo via Getty Images) | A SEPTA Regional Rail train (photo via Dough4872/Wikimedia Creative Commons)
Whatever time you think you need to leave, whether you’re heading to the parade or heading to a restaurant afterward, leave significantly earlier. The city is anticipating large crowds, and though measures are in place to move people safely, it doesn’t mean they’ll be able to move that quickly. “Anyone who’s been to these kinds of celebrations knows how long it takes to get through the crowds,” says restaurant publicist Kory Aversa. He was at Lucky Strike, located at 13th and Chestnut, the night the Eagles won the Super Bowl; it took him about two hours just to get out of Center City. So, build in some buffer time.
If you think you’re driving, no, you’re not. As Philly Mag deputy digital editor Laura Swartz mentioned in our guide to everything you need to know about the parade, there are going to be road closures everywhere. Your best bet is going to be public transit if you have to navigate across the city.
Thanks to Kevin Hart’s tequila company, Gran Coramino, rides on both the Market-Frankford Line and the Broad Street Line will be free all day. But to accommodate the crowds, trains will be running every six to eight minutes starting at 5 a.m., but only a limited number of stations will be open.
SEPTA Regional Rail will also be running on a modified schedule from 4:30 a.m. through 10:50 p.m. If you’re planning on coming in from the burbs, get your ticket today. Even though they’re offering a special $10 one-day pass (which must be purchased in person at a Regional Rail Sales Office), tickets will not be sold on Friday.
And, if you’re planning to commute via bus, expect a ton of detours starting later this evening. For more details on public transit, 6ABC has a really helpful guide.
Don’t Be a No-Call, No-Show
Photograph courtesy of Mamajuana Cafe
Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest nights for restaurants and a huge source of post-holiday slump revenue. Aversa says that during other big dining holidays like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, some of his clients can see upwards of 35 percent no-call, no-shows. For the most part, restaurants know how to handle it, but still, it sucks. Don’t be that guy. Communicate with the restaurant if you don’t think you’re going to make it on time. There’s no harm in asking if you can push your reservation back or reschedule for another day. At least then, restaurants can give your table away to someone else.
Or in the wise words of Scott Calhoun over at Ember & Ash: “Go to the parade, get drunk, have fun, but don’t stuff the small businesses in your back pocket when we need you the most. Make one reservation somewhere and commit to that place — not six different ones and take the one you like the best last minute and cancel the others. We’re literally the backbone of this city, so just don’t fuck us.”
Make a Contingency Plan
Scenes from Positano’s Valentine’s Day candlelight dinner service / Photograph courtesy of Positano Coast
Since Valentine’s Day landed on a Friday, a lot of restaurants already had special menus and events throughout the weekend, but there are a few that are extending their offerings beyond their original plans. So, if you can’t swing it after the parade, you can still support your favorite spots on Saturday and Sunday.
River Twice is offering a seven-course Valentine’s Day menu for $125 per person through Sunday, and they still have a few tables open for that night. Positano Coast by Aldo Lamberti’s candlelight dinner service, which was originally slated for Friday and Saturday nights, bought extra candles so they can keep the romantic vibes burning through Sunday; Lamberti Pizza and Market is offering their heart-shaped pizzas through Saturday and encouraging folks to stop by for post-parade festivities; Mamajuana Cafe will not only keep their kitchens open until 1 a.m. for both Friday and Saturday, but they’ve got fun activities planned all weekend including a night of live Latin entertainment on Saturday night as well as a Galentine’s and Gents Brunch on Sunday; and if you’re down for a Valentine’s Day-themed haunted house, Manayunk’s Lincoln Mill Haunted House is extending Viktor’s Valentine: A Dark Love Story through Saturday.
Overall, just get ready to be flexible. Restaurants are doing all they can to adapt to what is going to be, for better or worse, one helluva day. So just try your best to meet them halfway. And tip your servers generously!
