Mother’s Day reigns supreme as most popular dining out holiday.

May 11, 2017

2 Min Read
Research finds 92m Americans to dine out on Mother’s Day

New research released by the National Restaurant Assn. found that nearly two in five American adults plan to dine out on Mother’s Day this May 14, and 21 million will order restaurant takeout or delivery. These statistics have remained consistent over time, keeping Mother’s Day as the most popular holiday on which to dine out, followed by Valentine’s Day and Father’s Day. Nearly half of Mother’s Day restaurant diners plan to celebrate the mothers in their lives over dinner and at lunch.

“We expect Mother’s Day to once again be the busiest restaurant day of the year as families honor the tireless efforts of mothers across the country. Restaurants remain a place for families to come together to celebrate special occasions, like this day of recognition,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research for the National Restaurant Assn.

The online survey of 1,009 adults -- conducted May 4-7, 2017, by ORC International on behalf of the association -- asked respondents about their dining plans for Mother’s Day.

According to the survey, 37% of consumers plan to dine out on Mother’s Day, and 8% plan on getting restaurant takeout or delivery. Thirty-seven percent of consumers say they will celebrate with a home-cooked meal, while 28% say they are not planning any special meals that day.

Among families with children under 18, 44% plan to dine out on Mother’s Day, and 13% plan on getting takeout or delivery. Additionally, consumers in the Northeast and Midwest are more likely to visit a restaurant on Mother’s Day at 41% and 40%, respectively.

When it comes to the time of day Mother’s Day restaurant diners will have their meals, 10% said they will dine out at breakfast, 25% will choose brunch, 45% will select lunch and 47% will dine out for dinner.  Results showed that brunch is more common among older consumers – 36% of individuals age 65 and older – while those ages 35-44 are more likely to choose dinner (52%). Among households with children, 51% plan to dine out at lunch, and 50% will choose dinner.

When it comes to Mother’s Day gifts, the survey showed that having a meal with family at a restaurant tops the list for moms. One-third (32%) of mothers said they would most like to have a family meal at a restaurant as their gift, followed by flowers (15%), jewelry (10%), restaurant gift cards (9%), clothing or accessories (8%) and household or home decor items (7%); 20% said they prefer to receive something other than these items.

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