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Mother’s Day

Make it easy to bring your restaurant home to moms

More than ever, people want to treat their moms and celebrate them. This year, restaurants can play a special role this holiday by helping people bring a bit of what makes a restaurant meal celebratory to their mom. Here are steps you can take to celebrate moms wherever they are, share what you’re doing to make the day special, and encourage people to celebrate Mom in the future.

Treat Mom
at home

Connect with
guests

Adapt delivery
and takeout

Encourage future
celebrations

Over-communicate
about cleanliness

Help people treat Mom to a great meal at home

Even if guests can’t sit in your dining room, they still want to celebrate Mother’s Day with their families. With great food and restaurant expertise, you can help them do just that.

  • Point out how to create a two- or three-course meal from your a la carte menu.
  • Provide plating and table-setting advice people can follow to create a special ambiance.
  • Share playlists, wine-pairing tips, and virtual backgrounds for video celebrations (if you don’t have your own virtual background or playlist, here are some to share with diners).
  • Include a handwritten note to moms from the chef.
  • Partner with local florists and wine shops to sell flowers and champagne to accompany your meals.

Connect with past guests and share your Mother’s Day plans

Mother’s Day is one of the busiest days for restaurants, and this year you can continue to be there for your guests and let them know how they can celebrate the holiday with you.

  • Send guests who dined with you last year a “Happy Mother’s Day” email with a promotion (see how to export your guest list).
  • Highlight offers such as to-go prix-fixe menus, meal kits, or family-style takeout items.
  • Add photos to your OpenTable profile to highlight any Mother’s Day dishes.
  • Update your profile with relevant hours of operation and information.

Adapt your delivery and takeout for the holiday

As more guests order delivery and takeout, you might need to change your menu and processes to account for the increase in to-go meals.

  • Turn on delivery and takeout options to let people know they can enjoy your delicious food without going out (see tips for moving to delivery and pickup only).
  • Consider offering take-and-bake meals for diners to complete at home.
  • Test any new dishes and packaging to make sure they travel well. 
  • Walk through the pickup process and see how it feels from the guest perspective.
  • Drive prepaid takeout orders directly on OpenTable with takeout meals via Specials.

Encourage people to celebrate Mom in the future with you

Now is the time to remind guests of brighter times when they’ll be able to treat Mom to a full-service meal in your restaurant.

  • Remind people to buy gift cards that they can give as a gift to their moms now and use in the future.
  • Offer a free drink voucher via email or social for moms to bring in the next time they’re able to dine in.
  • Encourage people to make future reservations when they can.

Show people you’re prioritizing cleanliness

Lean into the new normal of over-communicating your cleanliness standards to diners.

  • Minimize the number of times staff touch takeout and delivery items.
  • Provide social distance guidance for guests and delivery drivers.
  • Increase sanitation by keeping hand sanitizer at the entrance.
  • Clean counters, handles, and bathrooms more frequently and thoroughly.