Starting and Growing a Career in Web Design

I saw the announcement last week and had to read it twice: Red Lobster and Vaseline are collaborating on a limited-edition Valentine's Day promo. Yes, the seafood chain and the petroleum jelly brand. Together. It's called the "Kissing Booth" collection, and apparently it's a holiday stunt meant to protect your lips from buttery, briny goodness while you crack into a lobster tail.

 My first thought was: who greenlit this? 

My second thought was: honestly, kind of brilliant.

 Because in 2026, this is what marketing looks like. Weird crossovers. Surreal partnerships. Brands teaming up not because it makes logical sense, but because it makes memorable sense. The kind of thing that makes you pause mid-scroll, laugh a little, and maybe, just maybe, book a reservation out of sheer curiosity.

When the Collaboration Is the Draw

Here's what I keep thinking about: diners don't just want a good meal anymore. They want the story they can tell afterward. They want the limited-edition lip balm, the unexpected collaboration, the "you had to be there" moment that feels like insider knowledge.

 It's not enough to serve excellent lobster pasta (though that helps). It's the experience around it, the little flourish, the playful detail, the thing that makes someone pull out their phone not to complain, but to share.

 If you've ever watched a table light up over a surprise dessert with a sparkler, or a handwritten note tucked under a check, you know what I mean. Hospitality has always been about the tiny, unexpected gestures. The ones that feel personal, even when they're part of the system.

 The restaurants that understand this don't just serve food. They create a sense of occasion. And in 2026, "occasion" increasingly means: did this feel special enough to remember?

Beyond the Hype: Creating a Memorable Valentine’s Day Experience

The Vaseline x Red Lobster thing is fun to talk about, but let's be honest, most independent restaurants aren't going to land a beauty brand partnership. (And maybe that's okay. Do we really need truffle oil-scented hand cream? Actually, don't answer that.)

 But the principle still applies. You don't need a massive marketing budget or a viral stunt to make your restaurant feel collaborative, creative, or experiential. 

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, this is the perfect time to think about the specific experience you are creating for your guests. On the most high-pressure date night of the year, your guests aren't just looking for a table; they are looking for a memory. 

You don’t need a lip balm collab to give them that, you just need to think about what frees up your team to focus on the moments that matter.

“Collaborative Hospitality” Behind the Scenes

This is where I think about what I'll call collaborative hospitality. Not a brand deal, but a behind-the-scenes partnership with the tools and systems that let your humans be more human. 

Picture your host stand next Saturday night. It’s Valentine’s Day. The lobby is full of nervous first dates and longtime couples. Your host is juggling a waitlist, a walk-in, and a request for a specific "quiet corner" table. Then, the phone rings. Again.

When that call goes unanswered, or is answered by a frazzled staff member, the romantic "experience" takes a hit before the guest even walks through the door. 

But if something else, say, a voice AI trained on your menu, your specials, your vibe, can handle that call with the same care your best host would bring, then suddenly your team has room to breathe. Room to notice. Room to create one of those tiny, memorable moments that guests talk about later.

 That’s the collaboration that matters: technology doing the repetitive work quietly, so hospitality can shine where it counts.

The Experience Is the Whole Thing

I love that we're in an era where a seafood chain can team up with a skincare brand and people don't just accept it, they kind of celebrate it. It's playful. It's odd. It's something.

 But for restaurants, the real magic isn't in the stunt. It's in the accumulation of small, thoughtful details that make someone feel seen.

• The server who remembers they don't like cilantro.

• The hostess who suggests the perfect table without being asked.

• The seamless reservation experience that didn't require three phone calls and a voicemail.

The best restaurants have always understood this: the experience is the whole thing. It starts the moment someone thinks about booking a table, and it doesn't end until they're telling a friend about it three days later.

 This Valentine's Day, I encourage you to think about the experience you can create. If you can build systems that protect your team's energy for the parts that matter most, the eye contact, the genuine recommendation, the moment of warmth, then you're already doing the most important collaboration of all.

You're partnering with your own people. Giving them the space to be present. To notice. To create the kind of hospitality that doesn't need a limited-edition lip balm to be unforgettable.

If that sounds like something worth exploring, I'm always happy to chat.