Restaurants Can Use Music to Elevate the Guest Experience on Mother’s Day 

Mother’s Day reigns queen as the largest dining-out holiday of the year, with Americans projected to spend around $35.7 billion on celebrations this year. Diners are booking their tables well in advance, turning “no reservations available” into a badge of honor that signals high demand and exclusivity.

The Untapped Power of Music

In an era of fierce competition in the restaurant and hospitality sectors, curating an unparalleled guest experience isn’t just beneficial, it’s essential for turning reserved seats into lasting memories. Embracing a multi-sensory, brand-fit guest experience to woo your full house transforms Mother’s Day from a routine meal into a celebrated tradition that resonates and builds loyalty. 

There is one often-overlooked ingredient that can make or break the mood: music.

Music Drives Dining Performance

Music is the invisible host. It greets guests, sets the rhythm of service and quietly guides spending. Research reveals that 79 percent of guests notice the music being played and 41 percent spend more time and money when they enjoy it. Yet, many restaurants either throw on a random playlist or forget music altogether, missing a crucial opportunity to elevate the dining experience. 

This study with a major global restaurant chain analyzed 1.8 million purchases across 16 restaurants in eight high-traffic locations over five months to compare the effects of brand-fit music, random hits and a mix of both on sales performance. The results revealed that tailoring playlists with a mix of popular and lesser-known songs chosen to fit the brand increased sales by 9.1 percent compared to random hits alone. Dessert purchases rose by 15.6 percent when the playlist fit the brand.  

This research underscores the transformative impact of well-curated music on guest behavior and overall revenue. As we delve deeper into the dynamics of special occasion dining, let’s now explore who is heading out to celebrate Mother’s Day. 

Who is Dining on Mother’s Day and Why It Matters

Understanding your audience and how it can be different based on time of day, season or holiday, is key to crafting the perfect soundtrack. Start by defining the demographic your restaurant typically appeals to, consider their ages, lifestyles, motivations and what influences their dining expectations. 

Embracing a multi-sensory, brand-fit guest experience to woo your full house transforms Mother’s Day from a routine meal into a celebrated tradition that resonates and builds loyalty. 

For Mother’s Day, research shows that 52 percent of diners will be visiting restaurants for dinner, 43 percent for lunch and 28 percent for brunch and 13 percent opting for breakfast. Trends in recent years have reflected that younger adults (18-34) drive the demand for brunch at 30 percent of bookings, Instagram friendly experiences and higher energy music. Middle-aged adults (34-54) on the other hand prioritize family style meals. Older generations (55+) prefer outdoor seating driving 27% of reservations. 

With this picture of who is dining on Mother’s Day it’s time to think through how you can act on the perfect playlist. Human curation is tedious work. Using an AI playlist creator that instantly generates customized music playlists based on your specific needs, such as business type, location, time of day, mood and target audience can make the Mother’s Day music process easy.  

Selecting an expertly curated ready made playlist or simple prompts like “classic tunes for a serene Mother's Day brunch” or “vibrant beats for a lively family dinner,” you can have the perfect six–24-hour long playlist ready in seconds, allowing your staff to hit play for the full spread of prep, open hours and breakdown and truly focus on delivering an exceptional experience for all the families celebrating Mother's Day. 

Volume control is also critical for shaping the perfect Mother's Day atmosphere. By maintaining a consistent yet adaptable volume level that reflects the flow of service and time of day, operators can preserve the integrity of the guest experience and even subtly encourage an extra round of drinks.  

Real World Inspiration

Some restaurants are already taking full advantage of the power of music. At Loreto in Los Angeles, an upscale Mexican restaurant from “Chopped” Champion Chef Paco Moran, the sous chefs are entrusted with selecting the music during prep time, embracing a collaborative approach that recognizes the dining experience is about more than just the food, it's also about creating the right vibe that matches other sensory touchpoints in the culinary experience. 

For 7 Brew Coffee, a quick-service coffee chain known for its high-energy atmosphere and personalized customer experience, location is not the only factor playing a part in the music selection; but the time of day is also taken into consideration. For instance, in the morning or rush hour, upbeat pop energizes customers coming in for their morning boost. In the afternoon, a slower tempo via indie music, for example, is used to entice customers to stay longer. 

Tech Makes Using Music Easy  

B2B music streaming platforms offer significant advantages for restaurants, enabling operators to curate playlists for every zone of the establishment, from the dining room to the bar, using a single intuitive interface that ensures every guest encounter is perfectly tuned to the brand's vibe. Premium platforms have AI-powered playlist creators and/or ready-made playlists based on their extensive catalogs and explicit lyrics filters, making it easy to tailor a daily soundtrack by artist, genre, mood or even regional flavor.

Advanced scheduling features allow operators to set and forget daily or weekly playlists automatically adjusting to the peak hours, quiet time, and seasonal themes. Leading platform providers also make integration seamless from any computer or peripheral hardware so operators can upgrade their existing sound system without investing in costly equipment.

For many restaurant operators, the legalities around using music in a commercial setting can be confusing. Almost half of business leaders admit they don’t fully understand the implications of music licensing. Using an employee’s personal device to stream music via Bluetooth or an aux cable from platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube or Amazon Music is prohibited because the music must be cleared for commercial use. Instead, the safest route is to partner with a dedicated B2B music provider that is fully compliant, covers performing rights organization (PRO) licenses, and offers a subscription certificate to help mitigate potential fines.  

The licensing, made-for-business features and playlists are all wrapped together in an affordable monthly subscription. Mother’s Day can be celebrated without any distractions or legal concerns.  

A Lasting Impression  

This Mother’s Day and beyond, don't just serve a meal, compose the ultimate multi-sensory experience. The data is clear that when guests connect the music with all the other elements of the brand experience, the potential for larger bills and repeat customers grows. The best restaurants have always known the secret ingredient isn’t only in the kitchen, it's been playing all along.