On Tuesday night, in honor of Valentine’s Day, some of the booths in Red Lobster’s Time Square restaurant will be transformed into “kissing booths,” draped in velvety red curtains beneath a heart-shaped arch.
Couples who reserve one of the intimate alcoves will get a special five-course meal featuring Cheddar Bay Biscuits, lobster pasta and Chocolate Wave Cake, as well as a helping of sexual innuendo: The final course is a travel-size tub of Vaseline.
“It's all designed to set the mood for what comes next,” the seafood chain said in a press release unveiling the “unexpected” partnership. “In a world where kissing in public can still earn a side-eye, Vaseline and Red Lobster are embracing PDA without the cringe and celebrating the moments that deserve a kiss.”
Red Lobster customers can reserve a kissing booth through Thursday.
Red Lobster is one of a number of restaurant brands pushing the envelope with their Valentine’s Day marketing campaigns this year in an effort to stand out in a sea of heart-shaped pizzas, prix-fixe meals and other standard V-Day offers.
The stunts come as restaurants are competing not only for foot traffic, but also attention in an environment where results are increasingly driven by social media.
“Restaurant brands are doing everything they can to stand out and win awareness right now, because they’re hoping it turns into engagement and sales,” said Anna (Tauzin) Neave, a fractional CMO and principal of The Good Kind marketing agency. “People might have the attention span of a goldfish, but goldfish still have dollars to spend.”
Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest days of the year for restaurants, and particularly sit-down places. In 2025, revenue at full-service restaurants rose 34% on Feb. 14 compared to the average Friday, according to data from POS provider Toast.
Dave & Buster's will put diamond rings in the Human Crane pit.
Chain restaurants have long taken the day as an opportunity to cater to couples with playful promotions. White Castle famously transforms into a table-service restaurant, reservations required. For the third year, Applebee’s is raffling off Date Night Passes that entitle winners to 12 free meals up to $50. And Denny’s is again offering free Las Vegas weddings for couples at its in-store chapel in Sin City. In a new twist, the newlyweds can get a free Denny’s breakfast if they post their good news on social media the next morning.
But some brands are really upping the ante this year, literally.
Food and games chain Dave and Buster’s turned heads with its plan to put $15,000 diamond engagement rings inside its Human Crane game at five locations. Lovestruck contestants can pay $20 for the chance to be lowered into the giant prize pit and fish out a ring, or, more precisely, a QR code with details about how to get one. (Who said chivalry is dead?)
In another unusual pairing, McDonald’s was pushing caviar ahead of the holiday. The fast-food giant on Tuesday gave away 750 McNugget Caviar Kits, inviting customers to pair the sturgeon egg delicacy with its signature chicken nuggets.
Available for free at mcnuggetcaviar.com, the kits include a tin of special McNugget Caviar from Paramount Caviar, creme fraiche, a caviar spoon and a $25 McDonald’s gift card to be spent on McNuggets. The kits were gone almost instantly.
An odd couple: McNuggets and caviar.
And while Dave & Buster’s and McDonald’s are no strangers to fun and games, even chains that are typically more buttoned-up are letting loose this year.
LongHorn Steakhouse, for instance, rolled out a line of Steak Commitment Rings, made with real steak and seasoning where a stone would normally be. The foodstuffs are preserved using a “proprietary preservation method” and jeweler’s grade resin.
The silver rings come in five “temperatures,” from rare to well-done, and are intended for steak-lovers to show their “long-term commitment to how they like their steak cooked.”
“The Steak Commitment Ring is a playful way to bring that commitment to life and celebrate the connection our fans feel to the brand – all rooted in our passion for great steak,” a representative said in an email.
The $50 rings went on sale on Feb. 4 and sould out in less than three minutes.
The rings contain real steak and seasoning.
Neave noted that bold, effective campaigns last year from brands like Chili’s have shown that silly marketing can also be smart. Meanwhile, restaurants may also be looking to provide some joy at a time when the headlines have been dark and divisive.
“Add in shareholder expectations, and you end up with more permission to try things that would’ve been considered too weird a few years ago,” she said.
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