'I proposed at Frankie & Benny's - I can't think of a more perfect place'
When he spotted a sweet Valentine's competition for a romantic proposal at Frankie & Benny's, David George knew he had to give it a go, for a very personal reason.
David, 35, and his partner Aaron MacKay, 34, enjoyed their very first date together at Frankie and Benny's Gunwarf Quays, Portsmouth in 2016, after first locking eyes while working together at the local theatre. David was immediately enamoured by 'gorgeous' Aaron, who he describes as 'a little Ken doll' with 'blonde hair, blue eyes'. Looks aside, he was also taken by family-orientated Aaron's 'gentle' nature, describing him as 'so kind, so loving'.
Recalling their instant connection ahead of the proposal, David told the Mirror: "No social media, no Grindr, no dating apps. It was amazing to just meet someone on the job, and we just fell in love. We used to sneak into bars, and have kisses when we should have been working."
The budding couple, who live in Portsmouth, went on to spend many evenings of their early courtship at the Italian-American restaurant branch, where David would always opt for pizza, while David preferred pasta. It was here, at around four to five months into dating, that they decided to make their relationship official.
In those days, the pair would eat out regularly at Frankie & Benny's, with London-born David laughing that he 'literally paid for every meal for months' as he wooed his beau. He can clearly remember the 'butterflies' he felt while looking across at Aaron, all while Frankie & Benny's sound system blasted classic '50s tracks.
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Sadly, there were rocky times ahead, and the couple have since had to drastically cut back on the treats they allow themselves.
David and Aaron have had to cut right back on eating out in recent times (Frankie and Benny's)During Covid, David's mother became ill, and could no longer work. David cut down to part-time hours, working as a postman for Royal Mail, so he could keep travelling up and down to London to assist her with chemotherapy and hospital appointments.
David told the Mirror: "I don't want to get upset, but we just struggled. Struggled to pay our bills, and had to do stupid McDonald's receipts to get cheaper food. So we went from eating out all the time at Frankie & Benny's to having a £1.99 McDonald's as our treat.
"So it was really hard to get up in the morning, be a postman, and then have to travel into London to pick my mum up, because I would share it between me and my sisters. I'm not going to lie, it's been challenging, so when I saw this competition, it was something for us. Something for us to focus on. Something that can be given back to us. Something we can enjoy."
Aaron's family, who David describes as a 'second family', have been a huge support to the pair, with Aaron's father even helping them out with a deposit to buy his grandparents' old house, but things have still been very tricky financially. When Aaron spotted the competition advertising a 'free diamond engagement ring' plus plenty more, it 'had [his] heart going', knowing that this would be a 'comfortable place' to ask the most important question of his life.
As per the competition announcement: "The Frankie's restaurant chosen by the winner will host everything, pulling out all the stops for the romantics. The lucky lovers will be treated to a delicious three-course meal, a special celebrity guest appearance (to be confirmed), and ten of your nearest and dearest (incognito) waiting to kick off the post-engagement prosecco party with the lovebirds."
David has always longed to propose to Aaron - but money was always an issue (Frankie and Benny's)Even before his romance with Aaron began, David had long had a place in his heart for Frankie & Benny's. It was here where he had his very first job as a waiter at the age of just 16, and he'd immediately 'felt at home' in the 'cheerful' setting. When asked what he likes best about the restaurant, he replied, 'everything!', clarifying, 'The bar, the cocktails, the food offers, the food! Where do I start?'
David never quite believed 'in a million years' however that he and Aaron would be picked, right up until the winners were announced on January 18. He explained: "I just assumed it would be a man and a woman, because that normally tends to be the case. And I appreciate the support of Frankie & Benny's putting two males out there. And to be honest, most of their servers are quite quirky. They can be who they want to be. In some jobs, and some restaurants you can't have tattoos, you can't have your hair in a certain way, So it was a good vibe."
When it came to nerves, performing arts grad David was more 'excited' than anxious ahead of the big day. Luckily for him, in the days leading up to their all-important date, Aaron had been too busy with work and planning his upcoming birthday party to notice what was going on.
Sharing his plans to keep Aaron in the dark right up to the very last second, David revealed: "Well, we're going to run with the Mean Girls promotion, so we're going to be wearing some pink. So I've sold it to Aaron that we've got two for one meal, two for one drinks, so we can afford it. We're going to have these amazing pizzas, that are heart-shaped."
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David never 'in a million years' believed they'd be chosen (Frankie and Benny's)
He's now looking ahead to the future with his husband-to-be (Frankie and Benny's)He continued: "One of them's going to say, 'will you', which is going to be given to Aaron, and my one's going to say 'marry me?' and he's going to open his box and it will say 'will you', and I'm going to turn my box around and it will say, 'marry me?' Inside there's two little personalised pizza boxes with our rings in them, I'm going to get down on one knee, and everyone is going to go crazy. That's what I hope!"
After the proposal, the lovebirds will be heading back home for a 'big karaoke, Eurovision-style party' with family members and friends. David has always longed to propose to Aaron, but factors such as money, time, and not having the 'perfect scenario' to pop the question have prevented him from doing so. He believes this has to be the 'best way' to kickstart 2024, and his excitement at the prospect of spending the rest of their lives together is palpable.
Opening up about their plans for the future, David shared: "We're going through the adoption process, we've already done stage one and we're about to enter stage two. We're adopting from birth, so baby, newborn baby, taken away from parents that can't look after their children. For two gay men to be able to give what we have to another baby and so on, this engagement kind of seals our journey, and it helps our process. It strengthens our application."
Showing emotion, David added: "I think that so much has gone on that we haven't really been able to be ourselves and celebrate our love for one another. It's just living, isn't it? And I'd do anything for him. It's so important for us, that we can that we can do that today."
Reflecting on the attributes he loves most about Aaron, David praised his beloved's 'charm' and 'kindness'. He said: "It's the way he looks at people and doesn't judge. You know, he was bullied a lot at school, he's quite a sensitive boy, and he's been wrapped up in his family and always lived in his home town so he always puts others before himself. And he's just beautiful, he's a beautiful person, and there's no anger, there's no jealousy."
Although it hadn't previously occurred to him to incorporate Frankie & Benny's elements into their wedding day, David did admit that an 'Italian theme would be amazing', especially if paired with the 'classic red and green' decor and 'old school music'.
Catching up with the Mirror after - successfully - popping the question, an elated groom-to-be David shared: “The proposal was so emotional, lots of cheering, crying and full of happiness. We may even be married by this summer but no later than summer 2025. The proposal night went so quick and it was so enjoyable I want to do it all again! Getting down on one knee, crying, was a highlight, and having the pizzas read 'Will You' and 'Marry Me' stirred so much confusion for Aaron.
"I played along with it and for a split second he really was in shock when I opened the next other mini pizza box to showcase the rings. We just cried and had a round of big applause from everyone. It was very special, it will be one of our go-to's for life as our first date was there."
Alexandra Gaunt, Frankie & Benny's head of marketing, said: "At Frankie & Benny's love is all around. Times are tough but love always conquers - that's why this Valentine's we want to give our guests the chance to create a truly magical memory at one of our restaurants. Frankie & Benny's has always been a popular date night spot for our guests and after this year, will become part of one lucky couple's love story forever."
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