Pro Tips for Foodservice Operators This Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is the ultimate restaurant holiday.  However, there isn’t a one size fits all answer for every foodservice operation.  Here is a list of ideas to consider for creating the best and most impactful way to honor Mom on her special day, no matter what type of venue.

With space, equipment, and staff constraints, choose to serve a special family-style menu. Shareable platters for everyone take the strain off the servers and create a great “family-style” opportunity! This is the most interactive way to serve and encourages the table to pass around the dishes, just like they would if they were home.

Or try a prix fix, multi-course menu for all!   The kitchen can fire according to course and table size, reducing kitchen tickets, speeding the service along, and allowing for a higher cover count.

Consider focusing on a limited menu of only your best-selling dishes, so your day is more manageable. Review your full menu and make a list of dishes that could get a "mother's day boost", with fun additions like edible flowers (like our favorites from Markon) or special local offerings.

Other Important Tips

• Start Marketing Early. Share your plans digitally, on your website and social media, and with customers when they dine in.
• Staff Up, Training starts now!
• Don't forget the decor! Add some floral centerpieces and other items to highlight the day.
• Get Creative - How can you offer more than a meal? From Make-Your-Own Mimosa Bars to craft stations, standing out from the crowd should be at the top of your mind!
• Celebrate Your Moms! For a personal touch, share the moms that make your restaurants shine on your social media feeds!

Customers expect a grand buffet.  This is the easiest way to address serving a large volume of patrons, with the most attention to the labor-saving in the front of the house. Consider shutting down a la carte service for that day to accommodate this event, as batch cooking is easier on the back of the house.

• Set a standard rate for adults and children, with a special treat, beverage, or flower/candy gift for mom.
• Make sure guests can choose from a wide variety of options, so there isn’t the fear of not finding something for everyone.
• Spring florals are right for the decor, and an abundant spread for dessert is a must! We love the Brickfire Bakery's line of ready-to-serve fancy desserts for these occasions!

Be an integral part of the Mother’s Day celebrations your customers hold in the comfort of their own homes. Customers placing takeout or delivery orders for this day – especially non-cooks – are looking to you for the food they love and the service they trust to make the day special. Manage back-of-the-house workflow to accommodate extra orders and to ensure consistent quality and timely turnaround. Have dedicated staff for taking, fulfilling and cashing out orders to make sure everything is perfect. Include a card or note with Mother’s Day orders.

The trick to gaining Mother’s Day traffic for these restaurants is early marketing efforts. Use table tents, social media, check presenters, and good ole’ word of mouth in advance to share specials offered for Mother’s Day.

• Serve up craft cocktails and mocktails with cute garnishes and mom-themed names, bar snacks or a limited menu of specials that throwback to some comfort food items your mom made like her famous meatloaf.
• Make sure to have something gratis for all the moms, they will love it!
• Partner with other local shops in your area to create special Mother's Day Gift Baskets full of coupons and Gift Cards that Mom can use all year long.