“Valentine’s Day sucked,” said Raymond Chorman, owner of Hillside Florist in Milton. Last year, Hillside filled more than 400 orders for Valentine’s Day bouquets. This year, they filled 170.

Chorman blamed the hit on bad weather and bad timing. The weather discouraged potential customers from making the drive to Hillside, he said, and when Valentine’s Day falls on a weekend, people are more likely to spend money on dinner than flowers.

Despite messy back roads, Chorman’s employees made all but two deliveries and received no complaints.

“We did the best we could,” he said.

Mayumi Williamson, owner of Flowers by Mayumi in Lewes, also reported sagging sales.

“Well, you know, they were lower than last year,” she said.

She said the problem wasn’t the snow so much as it was the economy. Good flowers come at a price – Williamson charges $75 for a dozen fresh roses. For many, she said, it simply wasn’t in the budget. But because Feb. 14 fell on a Sunday, she said, some potential customers might have assumed she was closed.

While the snow dented rose sales, it provided an unexpected boost for the hotel business. February blizzards knocked down power lines and blanketed swathes of the Cape Region in darkness, leading many to seek refuge at local hotels. After the first blizzard Saturday, Feb. 6, the AmericInn Lodge & Suites in Rehoboth Beach was filled to capacity.

“In a way, it was sad,” said Brenda Luckenbaugh, general manager. “We were making money off of peoples’ misfortune. That’s why we offered discounts.”

AmericInn knocked 20 percent off its winter rates, which Luckenbaugh declined to share, but said were already fairly low. The majority of snow refugees stayed for two to three nights, she said, and most returned to their homes by Wednesday, Feb. 10.

The hotel is dog-friendly, Luckenbaugh said, and most customers came with canines in tow.

The hotel also sheltered emergency workers, including employees from Beebe Medical Center, Giant and Food Lion. Luckenbaugh said AmericInn was fortunate to endure the blizzards without losing power.

During the first blizzard, Rehoboth’s Hampton Inn lost power for 16 hours. General Manager Jill Douglas said guests bundled up in blankets and endured the outage. She said she suspects the dark windows discouraged countless potential guests, but the hotel was still at 61 percent occupancy Tuesday, Feb. 9, with rates reduced from $109 to $79. Douglas and her staff fetched provisions from nearby SuperFresh and cooked lasagna for dinner.

Hotel Rehoboth, a boutique hotel on Rehoboth Avenue, targeted couples with romantic getaway packages. Co-owner Peggy Martin said business was brisker than expected, with numbers matching those from a year ago.

“Fortunately, the weather didn’t really affect our weekend,” Martin said. “We were pretty much filled.”

Martin said the hotel’s usual clientele – vacationers from Washington, D.C., and the Beltway area – shoveled out their driveways to make their reservations. While most took advantage of the Valentine’s Day package, Martin said Rehoboth was busy enough to provide a number of walk-ins.

“We’re not complaining at all,” she said.

Rehoboth restaurant The Cultured Pearl took advantage of a delivery of fresh fish, serving sushi in the lull between storms on Monday, Feb. 8. Owner Susan Wood said the restaurant served almost 300 locals.

Still, she said, Valentine’s Day crowds were a letdown – she said the weather deterred many from leaving their homes, leaving the restaurant to depend on the local crowd. It could have been a lot worse, Wood said, but while snow can halt the business, it doesn’t halt the bills.

“In the winter, it’s not about making money – it’s about surviving,” Wood said. “But even if it stops completely, the rent is still due. I think it’s going to be a rough month for a lot of people.”

The first storm marooned would-be Super Bowl crowds, confining spectators to couches instead of barstools. Ami Rice, manager of Irish Eyes in Lewes, said the restaurant and bar had to refund around $750 in Super Bowl party tickets.

“We were excited – it was our first really big party, and we were excited about the buzz,” she said. The snow on Anglers Road kept Irish Eyes closed until around noon Thursday, Feb. 11. Rice said she’s trying to take an optimistic perspective.

“You can’t lose something you never had,” she said.