ROCKLAND — It’s Valentine’s Day everywhere, but here…. In fact it’s just the opposite at L&H Burgers in Rockland

John Stowe owns both Rustica and L&H Burgers on Maine Street in Rockland. Rustica has planned a menu around love and Valentine traditions for the restaurant this evening. He and his employees at L&H Burgers wanted to do something special for the day and decided if one can center around love, why can’t the other do just the opposite.

So was born Anti Valentine’s Day at J&H Burgers. A day built around bringing out the worst the day has to offer. Windows adorned with anti-love slogans. Every table features seating with black table cloths with black balloons resting on the floor. And just like the little candies that come with the sweet slogans of love, every table has a heart with anti-love slogans printed on them.

Specials of the day include the Heartbreaker Burger, Chocolate Covered Strawberry Milkshake for One and The “Bummer” Brownie Sundae. Coupled with the atmosphere it’s all designed to indulge your unrequited, spurned and scorned feelings of the day.

Kelly Blanchard, of Rockland, and one of the waitresses at L&H summed it up as, “Rusitca will do the love, L&H is the opposite,” she said. “We’ve had some nice comments and overall the approval has been great.”

“We’re not anti love,” said Stowe. “We just want to give people someplace, who don’t want Valentine’s Day. Or maybe a place for couples who hate each other and just want to eat.”

“It’s a great concept,” said Allison Leonard another waitress at L&H. “It’s edgy and different. People love it and we have the best burgers in town. We’re open till 8 p.m. so it’ll be fun to see who comes in.”

Dorothy McDonald who was not at the restaurant, but works there did the decirating on the windows.

“Business has been nice and steady today,” said Kelly. Funniest thing that happened today was at 11 a.m. I got like four phone calls in a row, people asking if they could make reservations. We don’t take reservations, but we haven’t had any trouble seating people.”

“Everybody is celebrating,” the staff summed it up, “and we’re the only ones who aren’t.”