Alert: Mother’s Day is on Sunday, May 14, 2023.

For most restaurant owner/operators, Mother’s Day is THE revenue-generating day of the year. According to the National Restaurant Association (NRA), 27% of adults said they plan to go out to a restaurant for a special Mother’s Day meal.

Now… Some restaurateurs do Mother’s Day better than others. For Mother’s Day Restaurant, they’ve found a way to game the system all year round! But not every restaurant has that built-in advantage.

Industry veterans know Mother's Day is a great opportunity to attract new customers to their restaurants and increase profitability.

Here are 7 proven ways those restaurateurs leverage Mother's Day and increase their sales on Mother’s Day:

1. The Special Mother's Day Menu

Create a special menu just for Mother's Day that features items that are popular with Moms. Offer special dishes or add-ons that are specifically targeted at Moms, such as a complimentary dessert or a free glass of champagne.

46% of your potential customers in fact will be looking for a special Mother’s Day menu. Making a major splash with a press release, California Pizza Kitchen is bringing back its fan-favorite heart-shaped pizza along with dining and gift card promotions this Mother’s Day.

Also, in preparing your menu, be aware that the common misperception is that brunch is more popular with Mom on her day, but the NRA has reported that dinner is Mom’s preference.

2. Social Media For Mom

Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook can help promote your Mother's Day specials. On your website, post pictures of your Mother’s Day specials, and use hashtags like #mothersday or #brunch to increase your reach.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is running a “Best Motherly Advice” social media contest in which fans can enter to win prizes by sharing words of wisdom received from a special Mother in their life on Dickey's website.

3. The Mother’s Day Promotion

Offer discounts, promotions, or contests to customers on Mother's Day. This can be a great way to incentivize customers to choose your restaurant over others. The “Buy One Get One Free” and “Mom’s Dine Free” promotions are always crowd pleasers on Mother’s Day.

The Cheesecake Factory is making Mother’s Day shopping sweeter with a special online gift card offer — for every $50 in gift cards purchased online guests will receive a complimentary $10 bonus card.

Iconic White Castle, creator of the “most influential burger of all time,” is offering free dessert with purchase over Mother's Day weekend.

4. Host A Special Mom Event

Consider hosting a special event or activity, such as a brunch buffet or a cooking demonstration, during brunch hours. Your charismatic chef may create a memorable experience for Moms and their families and increase the chances that they will return to your restaurant in the future. Building loyalty…

Here’s one great and unexpected example. Famous for their meatballs, Ikea will be hosting a special Mother’s Day High Tea, including sandwich varieties like miniature roast beef, salmon pinwheel with mustard dill sauce, and cucumber with dill cream cheese. No assembly required.

5. Moms Who Love Music

Sophisticated and fun music (find a local string quartet) can create a more inviting and celebratory environment that will make Moms feel special and enhance the customer experience. Celebrate Mom and support your local musicians!

6. Mom, We Have Reservations

Take reservations well in advance of Mother's Day to ensure that you have enough seating for all of your customers. This can also help you manage your staff and inventory effectively.

OpenTable just released its annual list of the 100 most popular brunch spots. Think about using restaurant-reservation services like OpenTable for special occasions. An added benefit: using third-party reservation platforms helps improve your results in local search engine optimization. And if your restaurant did not make the brunch spot top 100, there’s always next year!

Also, keep in mind the majority of reservations for Mother’s Day are typically booked up to 5 days in advance

7. Mother’s Day Gift Card And Building Loyalty

Create a Mother’s Day gift card promotion that allows customers to purchase gift cards for their Moms for your restaurant at a discounted rate. This can be a great way to increase sales and attract new customers to your restaurant.

A great example is Benihana. Benihana is all in on Mother’s Day. From Instagramming the message “Just like your mom, our gift cards do it all” to an incredibly well-designed Mother’s Day gift card promotion landing page on their website, the leading Japanese restaurant chain in the United States uses a savvy multi–channel approach to build customer loyalty with their gift card strategy.

The Final Word On Increasing Sales At Your Restaurant On Mother’s Day

Think about partnering with local businesses. Offer a joint promotion with a local florist and create a memorable Mother’s Day package that includes a meal at your restaurant and a bouquet of flowers. This can be a great way to attract new customers and increase sales for both businesses.

Ultimately, veteran restaurateurs know the best Mother's Day restaurant promotion depends on your restaurant's brand, target audience, and budget. The key is to create a promotion that is memorable, enjoyable, and valuable for your customers.

Or you could change your restaurant’s name to Mother’s Day Restaurant and wallow in the restaurant industry’s most profitable day every day.

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