Consumer Trends

Moms Run the Show on Mother's Day

Sunday, May 12, promises to be a high-grossing day for restaurants, as families across the country take mom out to eat for Mother’s Day. According to Caroline Potter, Chief Dining Officer of OpenTable.com, “Mother’s Day has always been one of the biggest dining holidays of the year—and with good reason. Being a mother is one of the most important jobs in the world.” In a recent survey, OpenTable gathered data that can help operators capitalize on this national celebration.

  • 65% of moms plan to book their own restaurant reservations
  • 24% plan to dine out for more than one meal, with 1 in 5 moms planning to spend more than they did last year
  • 58% of the respondents said brunch was unquestionably a part of their Mother’s Day plans, with 39% opting for an evening meal
  • 81% revealed that they would be enjoying at least one alcoholic beverage
  • 51% said that a child-friendly environment was not important, as they would be dining without their children
  • As far as gifts go, 21% appreciate flowers, 12% prefer jewelry and 11% are hoping for a new iPad

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Financing

Despite their complaints, customers keep flocking to Chipotle

The Bottom Line: The chain continued to be a juggernaut last quarter, with strong sales and traffic growth, despite frequent social media complaints about shrinkflation or other challenges.

Operations

Hitting resistance elsewhere, ghost kitchens and virtual concepts find a happy home in family dining

Reality Check: Old-guard chains are finding the alternative operations to be persistently effective side hustles.

Financing

The Tijuana Flats bankruptcy highlights the dangers of menu miscues

The Bottom Line: The fast-casual chain’s problems following new menu debuts in 2021 and 2022 show that adding new items isn’t always the right idea.

Trending

More from our partners