Valentine's Day may be chocolates and cuddles for some people, but for servers at local restaurants, it's steaks and champagne.

In the past, dining out during the holiday was a popular activity, and servers responded to increased customers by focusing on sales and service and celebrating later.

Maureen Lazny has worked every Valentine's Day for the past 20 years, two of which she spent at Spats Café and Speakeasy, 142 E. College Ave.

"Generally I don't mind working," she said. "Financially it's a good night because people are in a good mood."

Lazny said the interaction between customers and servers depended on individual personalities, with some customers having higher expectations and some servers feeling a bit moody. Her response was to focus on giving good service.

"I would rather be at home, but when you're waiting on tables you got to suck it up," she said.

Lazny said she sells many more bottles of wine and more filet mignon.

Desserts sell well, particularly bananas foster in addition to anything made with chocolate. Jimmi Schwartz, a server at Allen Street Grill, 100 W. College Ave., said that even if he had the option, he would still work on Valentine's Day.

"I like to work on the big days because that's when you make your money," he said.

Schwartz said his girlfriend was all right with him working on Valentine's Day because she also works in food service.

Izabella Khachaturyan (senior-art education and art) would be working her first Valentine's Day as a server at Zola New World Bistro, 324 W. College Ave., but she requested the night off.

"I requested off because I think it's the most important day of the year to go out," she said.

Khachaturyan said, for college couples, going out to a restaurant was the best option to intimately share the holiday with someone special.

"If I had my own place, I'd stay in and cook," she said. "But with roommates hanging around, it kills the romance."

And, at restaurants, romance abounds, as many servers have tales of marriage proposals at their tables.

"I've waited on people when they've gotten engaged," Lazny said. "This one guy had me balance the ring on some whipped cream in a coffee mug."

Lazny recounted another time when a man had a glass hand-blown with the ring encircling the stem.

He then bought champagne, which his fiancee had to drink before she went outside to break the glass.

Julie Globun, a server at Zola, has similar experiences.

"One time we put the ring in the edible flowers of a chocolate dessert," Globun said.

Globun said the foods, themselves, were also aimed at boosting the allure of the evening.

"In the past we've done hearts of palm salad, champagne, chocolate covered strawberries -- anything that reminds you of love," she said.

Mary Ellis, a manager at the Allen Street Grill, 100 W. College Ave., said many restaurants add meal features, menu inserts and decorations.

"Last year we scattered rose petals throughout the restaurant," Ellis said.

"And we had conversation hearts on the tables. We do more meals for two and we try to make the experience a little more fun and romantic," he added.

Another more forgiving component of working the holiday, Ellis said, was that people were more into being with each other and they were not in any hurry.

Misty Armstrong, a manager at The Corner Room, 100 W. College Ave., said one way their restaurant stretched the Valentine's Day spirit was by expanding the holiday celebration to a four-day weekend, starting Friday and ending Monday.

She said servers from other restaurants respond positively to an extension of the holiday.

"It's nice that people who work can go out and experience being waited on," Armstrong said.

Another plus of working the holidays, she said, is that it allows for staff bonding.

"We'll probably all sit down and eat together afterwards," Armstrong said. "Some of the girls will bring in Valentine's Day cards for each other."