The Mother’s Day Boost

It’s expected to be a happy Mother’s Day for restaurants this year as nearly half of Americans plan to dine out or order food from local restaurants, according to new research from the National Restaurant Association 

Additionally, the latest data from CGA’s BeverageTrak solution reveals that daily trends in the US On Premise have been relatively stable over the last two to three weeks, but that the channel should expect an uplift in velocity in the coming weeks with events such as Mother’s Day, Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby taking place. Mother’s Day  has consistently been the best performing Sunday of the year in the On Premise, having achieved the highest average outlet sales and traffic in both 2019 and 2021, with Fine Dining outlets leading the way with velocity growth of +134 percent versus the average Sunday to date in 2021.

“Historically, Mother’s Day has been one of the most popular holidays to celebrate at restaurants,” said Hudson Riehle, National Restaurant Association senior vice president of Research. “After more than two years of limited on-premises dining, consumers are ready to return to restaurants, especially to celebrate special occasions and socialize with family and friends.” 

After more than two years of limited on-premises dining, consumers are ready to return to restaurants, especially to celebrate special occasions and socialize with family and friends.

According to the National Restaurant Association survey, 27 percent of consumers plan to go out to a restaurant. In addition, 18 percent of consumers plan to order takeout or delivery. Some plan to do both on Mother’s Day.

When deciding on a restaurant to eat out at, consumers are looking for specials and discounts, including: 

• 46 percent looking for special Mother’s Day menus
• 44 percent hoping for a free add-in for mom, such as a special cocktail, dessert, flowers, or chocolates
• 41 percent looking for a Mother’s Day discount

When it comes to ordering takeout or delivery, add-ins and bundles top the list, including: 

• 51 percent hoping for a free add-in for mom, such as a special cocktail, dessert, flowers, or chocolates
• 49 percent looking for free or discounted delivery
• 44 percent wanting multi-course meal bundles

Lunch and dinner are the most popular meals among Mother’s Day diners this year. According to the survey, 48 percent of individuals planning to go out will go for lunch, 45 percent are planning to go out for dinner, while 30 percent will meet for brunch, and 21 percent for breakfast.  

“The draw for restaurant prepared meals is that they allow more time for socializing, which is something that consumers have been missing for the last two Mother’s Days,” added Riehle. “And because consumers haven’t been able to use restaurants as often as they would have liked, especially for on-premises meals, the holiday is an exciting opportunity to return to an old favorite or try a new local venue.” 

The national online survey of 1,000 adults was conducted April 22-24 by Engine for the National Restaurant Association. Get the full survey results here.  

“As the On Premise returns to stable trading patterns, it’s clear that events such as Mother’s Day and Cinco de Mayo will once again provide a boost in sales and traffic in the channel, based on their performance over the last few years.,” said Matthew Crompton, CGA Regional Director – North America.