Hitting the Motherlode: 2025 Strategies for a Profitable Mother’s Day
- eileen strauss
- 12 hours ago
- 8 min read
In the restaurant game, there’s no bigger food holiday than Mother’s Day. Whether your customers are seeking a casual delivered meal at home or an elegant in-person dining experience, Mother’s Day is an opportunity to capture new guests, re-engage with existing customers, raise revenue, and re-invigorate your reputation.
Stats to Consider
🤱Giving What She Wants:
According to OpenTable:
46% of moms prefer to start celebrations early to maximize relaxation time throughout the day. While noon was the most popular time to dine on Mother's Day 2024, 10am is seeing the most growth, up 19%, in 2025.
For 64% of moms, the number one wish-list for a perfect Mother's Day meal out is a waterfront or scenic view.
2024 saw a 29% increase in experience dining on Mother's Day, with over 51% of moms citing a chef's tasting menu as a favorite Mother’s Day experience.
66% of moms plan to celebrate multiple times over the weekend, whether with family, friends or solo.
20 Unique Mother’s Day Promos and Ideas to Make Your Restaurant Stand Out
Extend the Celebration
For guests who can’t celebrate on Sunday—like hospitality staff, medical professionals, or those with custody schedules or multiple moms to honor—extend the holiday beyond just one day.
Even though 73% of moms still want to celebrate with a family brunch, 66% of U.S. consumers plan to celebrate more than once over the weekend. Give them options by stretching the celebration.
Mother’s Day Eve
Add an extra date to your holiday calendar by extending your Mother’s Day specials to Saturday night. This opens up reservations and expands your reach to those who work Sundays. Plus, with a little social media buzz, you can turn Mother’s Day Eve into a new tradition.
Lock It In Early
Getting your Mother’s Day promotions and menu out there early is a great way to get a jump start on the celebrations. It helps build excitement and gives customers plenty of time to plan ahead.
Many people like to lock in their Mother’s Day plans early, so by promoting ahead of time, you’re more likely to fill up your tables or secure those take-out and delivery orders. Plus, giving yourself extra time to prepare means you can fine-tune everything and make sure it’s a smooth and successful day!
Be All-Inclusive
Lots of people play the role of “mom” these days. Mother’s Day is a great opportunity for guests to acknowledge the people in their lives that they appreciate and demonstrate your business’s recognition of inclusivity by honoring everyone’s mom and every definition of the word—whether it’s families with two moms, aunts, grandmothers, or even two dads.
5. Create a Mother’s Day Limited Menu
Mom’s Morning Glory – A decadent breakfast platter with eggs, avocado toast, smoked salmon, and a side of fruit.
Queen’s French Toast – Fluffy cinnamon swirl French toast topped with whipped cream, fresh berries, and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Mother’s Day Brunch Bliss – A brunch spread featuring mini quiches, fresh fruit salad, croissants, and mimosas.
Mom's Garden Frittata – A vegetable-packed frittata with asparagus, spinach, tomatoes, and goat cheese, served with a side of crispy potatoes.
The Mom-osa – A special twist on the classic mimosa, made with fresh orange juice, sparkling wine, and a splash of elderflower liqueur.
Sassy Mom’s Salad – A vibrant salad with mixed greens, strawberries, candied pecans, goat cheese, and a honey-balsamic dressing.
The Perfect Mother – Grilled salmon with a lemon-butter glaze, served with roasted seasonal vegetables and a quinoa pilaf.
Mom's Sweetheart Pancakes – Fluffy pancakes topped with chocolate ganache, strawberries, and whipped cream for the ultimate indulgence.
Sunshine & Roses Smoothie Bowl – A refreshing smoothie bowl made with mango, pineapple, and coconut, topped with granola and edible flowers.
The Matriarch’s Meatball Sub – A hearty meatball sandwich with marinara sauce, mozzarella, and fresh basil, served with crispy fries.
Mom’s Dreamy Ravioli – Butternut squash ravioli in a sage brown butter sauce, sprinkled with Parmesan and crushed hazelnuts.
Mom’s Secret Garden Tacos – Soft corn tortillas filled with grilled chicken, avocado, and a zesty mango salsa, served with a side of cilantro-lime rice.
The Golden Goddess – A golden-hued risotto made with saffron, shrimp, and roasted garlic, perfect for a special occasion.
Mother’s Day Bliss Burger – A gourmet burger with a perfectly grilled patty, creamy Brie, caramelized onions, and a touch of truffle aioli.
Mom’s Chocolate Lava Cake – A rich molten chocolate cake with a gooey center, served with vanilla ice cream and a raspberry coulis.
6. Sell Them on a Second Visit
Why should the love only last one day? Given the high volume of traffic your restaurant may see, use the opportunity to invite guests in for other upcoming holidays like Father’s Day. Encourage guests to book Father’s Day reservations on the spot by offering a $25 credit if the family books their Father’s Day meal with you on Mother’s Day. Remember to extend your promotion to ALL dads as well as many moms play the dad role too. And by taking advantage of this profit-making holiday, you can turn first time customers into loyal guests.
7. Hats Off to Mom
Moms wear many hats, from chef to chauffeur. Invite moms to wear their funniest hats on Mother’s Day and award the best ones with a free dessert.
8. World's-Best-Juggler Contest
Moms are the best jugglers on earth, balancing work, home, and shuttling everyone everywhere. Hold an actual juggling contest on Mother’s Day, rewarding the winner with a free meal.
9. “Mom's the Word” Games
Add some fun to your Mother’s Day promotions with a word game featuring the word “mom” or “mother.” Guests can enter either online or in person for a chance to win a prize!
Mom’s Word Scramble: Create a word scramble where participants have to unscramble as many words as they can using the letters in "mom" or "mother." The person with the most correct answers wins a prize.
Mother’s Day Crossword: Create a crossword puzzle with clues related to motherhood, Mother’s Day, or your restaurant. Offer a prize to the first person to complete the puzzle correctly.
Rhyme Time for Mom: Ask participants to come up with as many rhyming words or phrases for "mom" or "mother" as possible within a time limit. The person with the most rhymes wins a special gift.
Mom-agram: A fun twist on a classic game—give clues that lead to phrases or words related to moms, and have guests guess the word or phrase. The winner gets a prize like a free dessert or a discount on their next visit.
Who needs a babysitter? Ask moms to fill out a card explaining why they need a night out. Ask those who enter to provide their email address to grow your mailing list and ask the winner for their permission to share their story on social media.
Best Mom Ever: While mom writes her babysitter story, ask kids and spouses to nominate their mom for the “Best Mom Ever” award.
Special Delivery Ideas
Whether it’s because of prices, crowds, or preferring to chill with friends and family alone, many moms prefer to stay home on Mother’s Day. Here are a few strategies to help boost delivery sales on Mother’s Day:
10. Create Special Mother’s Day Meal Kits
Offer special meal kits designed for families to enjoy at home. Think elegant 3- or 5-course meals that can be easily reheated or served fresh. Include a few dessert options or a complimentary bottle of wine (if legal in your area). These special packages not only add value but create an experience for customers who prefer to celebrate at home.
11. Offer Delivery-Only Discounts
Encourage customers to order delivery by offering exclusive discounts for online or delivery orders on Mother’s Day. For example, a “10% off all delivery orders” promotion or a “free dessert with every delivery” offer can motivate people to choose delivery over dining out.
12. Add a Personal Touch
Give customers the option to add a personal touch to their delivery orders, such as a handwritten card or a custom message for mom. This adds value to the meal and creates a more thoughtful, memorable experience.
13. Offer Free Delivery for Larger Orders
To increase the size of orders, offer free delivery for orders over a certain amount, like $50 or $75. This encourages customers to buy more, while making them feel like they’re getting a better deal.
14. Promote Early to Capture Orders in Advance
Encourage people to place their Mother’s Day delivery orders early by promoting advance ordering. You can offer a small discount for orders placed a week before the holiday or give early-bird customers a special bonus, such as a free appetizer or drink.
15. Feature Family Meal Deals
Mother’s Day is often about family gatherings, so offer family-style meals that serve multiple people. Promote these packages as the ideal way for families to enjoy a festive meal together at home without the hassle of cooking.
16. Leverage Social Media to Drive Delivery Orders
Use social media to showcase your special Mother’s Day menu and delivery options. Share tempting photos, behind-the-scenes preparation, and customer testimonials from past years to create excitement. Include clear instructions on how to place delivery orders and any promotions you’re running.
17. “Mini Me” Meals
Let kids order from the grown-up menu by offering small portions of your main dishes.
18. Encourage Post-Mother’s Day Orders
Offer a discount or incentive for customers who order again after Mother’s Day, like a “$10 off your next order” coupon. This gives customers something to look forward to after the holiday while keeping them engaged with your brand.
19. Breakfast in Bed Basket
Similar to meal kits, a breakfast in bed basket to go could include everything for a perfect breakfast in bed, such as French toast, croissants, pastries, lox, bagels, fruit, and mimosas.
20. Picnic Basket
Another great delivered special is the picnic basket to go. Perfect for couples or families, create a picnic basket to go including all the accouterments, such as red and white checkered napkins and tablecloths, plastic champagne glasses, single wine bottles, nuts, cheese, fruit, croissants, muffins, and mini bagels.
Mocktail Hour
It's no secret that wine sales reach their peak on Mother’s Day, so be sure to keep your wine bar stocked for the big day, but to appeal to those who don’t consume alcohol, creating a few special “mocktails,” (alcohol free cocktails) might be easier for some guests to swallow. Here are a few mocktail ideas to try:
Mocktini: Alcohol-free Martini
Virgin Mimosas: Orange Juice, Alcohol-free Wine, and Sparkling Water
Cranberry Spritzers: Cranberry Juice, Lime Juice, and Seltzer
Virgin Bloody Marys: Bloody Mary’s Minus the Vodka
Mockin’ Margaritas: Frozen Margarita Mix Sans the Tequila
Take Away- Mother of All Holidays
Whether you're a casual street cafe, vegan take-out haunt, or a fine dining rooftop restaurant, there's room at the table on this big spring holiday.
Whatever you're serving, just remember, moms have a huge influence on a family's dining options on the remaining 364 days of the year. By making Mother's Day memorable, you can turn first timers into loyal customers, maximize orders, increase customer loyalty, and hit the motherload.
Download our FREE 2025 Sauce Marketing Calendar for Restaurants, filled with 12 months of common and quirky national food holidays to use in your restaurant's marketing.
By Eileen Strauss
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