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Snow forces Dallas restaurant closures on Valentine’s Day, costing one owner ‘at least $100,000′

Here is a list of restaurants closing because of the cold weather.

Frigid temperatures and icy roads on Valentine’s Day broke Dallas restaurant owners’ hearts.

After what Cane Rosso owner Jay Jerrier describes as a “nightmare” 2020, hundreds of Dallas-area restaurants hoped for an uptick in sales on Valentine’s Day. But unprecedented weather conditions forced Jerrier to temporarily close eight Dallas-Fort Worth restaurants: six Cane Rossos and two Zoli’s.

Worse still, the original Cane Rosso in Deep Ellum would have celebrated its 10th anniversary on Feb. 14. Instead of selling hundreds of heart-shaped pizzas, the restaurant is locked up. Jerrier is at home, surfing for a movie to watch with his wife and kids. He’s just grateful they already sold about 8,000 $10 pizzas, in honor of the restaurant’s 10th birthday, on Feb. 9 for National Pizza Day.

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“Today’s probably going to cost us at least $100,000,” Jerrier says of his company’s widespread Valentine’s Day closures.

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“But what are you going to do? I’m hoping that once we get through this weather and COVID, I’m hoping there will be a lot of pent-up demand.”

Bisous Bisous Patisserie in Dallas sold heart-shaped cakes for Valentine's Day season in...
Bisous Bisous Patisserie in Dallas sold heart-shaped cakes for Valentine's Day season in 2021. While the shop saw healthy sales on the holiday weekend, it closed on Valentine's Day due to snow and record-low temperatures. Owner Andrea Meyer says Bisous Bisous will continue to sell its V-Day treats through the end of the month, for anyone who wants to celebrate late.(Courtesy of Bisous Bisous Patisserie)
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Pastry chef Andrea Meyer closed Bisous Bisous Patisserie in Dallas’ West Village on Valentine’s Day because of the weather. Her team “had to scramble — and so did the customers” to get orders out a day early, on Feb. 13.

Bakeries often do big sales on Valentine’s Day weekend. Bisous Bisous celebrated the holiday by selling heart-shaped French macarons in several flavors and a chocolate-dipped strawberry croissant. Many of Meyer’s customers preordered and picked up their desserts early. And those who didn’t lost the opportunity to buy last-minute sweets as snow blanketed North Texas and temperatures dipped into the teens.

Federal Paycheck Protection Program loans and loyal customers carried Bisous Bisous through a tough 2020. She’s hopeful for a better 2021, she says, but Valentine’s Day could have been better.

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Dozens of restaurants announced Valentine’s Day closings, which means customers are left without reservations or takeout food, and restaurant owners miss the opportunity to make money during the pandemic. V-Day restaurant closures hit every corner of North Texas: Taco y Vino in Oak Cliff, Heirloom Haul in Frisco, Homewood near Highland Park, Nori Handroll in Deep Ellum, Roots Chicken Shak in Plano’s Legacy Hall, Trinity Groves in West Dallas, Palmer’s Hot Chicken in East Dallas and Sandwich Hag in the Cedars.

Sevy’s Grill in Dallas is already looking ahead and will be closed through Wednesday. The owners of Heim Barbecue, which has restaurants in Fort Worth and Dallas, made the same call.

Whatever the weather, Deep Ellum restaurant Elm + Good will be open on Valentine's Day, says...
Whatever the weather, Deep Ellum restaurant Elm + Good will be open on Valentine's Day, says chef Graham Dodds.(Brandon Wade / Special Contributor)

For chef Graham Dodds at Deep Ellum restaurant Elm + Good, he’s keeping the restaurant open, no matter the weather. He’s been posting photos of fluffy brunch biscuits and seared scallops on social media, enticing customers who still need a place to eat on Valentine’s Day.

“We have a lot of guests staying here at the hotel that we will be feeding,” he notes. “Anyone else can come out and brave the weather to join us.”

Owners like Jerrier and Meyer aren’t sure when their restaurants and bakeries will reopen; it depends on the weather. But the blast of cold stings.

“If the challenge of COVID hasn’t been enough, let’s go ahead and throw in two epic ice storms!” says a Facebook post from Sevy’s Grill in Dallas.

For Jerrier, it’s just another hurdle in a wild ride as a Dallas restaurant owner.

“It’s been 10 years,” he says of Cane Rosso’s milestone. “It feels like a thousand.”

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For more food news, follow Sarah Blaskovich on Twitter at @sblaskovich.