TLDR

As a restaurateur, Mother's Day can feel like an operational nightmare. With customer expectations high and spending hitting record levels, your staff may dread one of the busiest days of the year. But by leveraging technology and planning ahead, you can turn the busiest brunch day into a revenue opportunity. With online pre-ordering, mobile payments, and digital menus, you can reduce wait times, server workloads, and order mistakes. The key is using data and automation to improve efficiency behind the scenes, so your team can focus on delighting each mother through impeccable service. This year, make peace with Mother’s Day by optimizing operations to meet rising consumer demand. The result will be happier customers, less stressed staff, and a revenue boost to start the summer season strong.

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Mother's Day Is One of the Busiest Days for Restaurants

Mother’s Day is one of the most profitable yet challenging days for restaurant owners and staff. According to the National Retail Federation, spending on dining out for Mother’s Day will reach $5.6 billion this year, up 6% from 2021. OpenTable data also shows reservations have increased 39% compared to pre-pandemic levels, indicating higher demand.

Prepare for Rush Hours

On Mother’s Day, many families choose to celebrate over brunch or dinner at their favorite local eateries. To accommodate the influx of patrons, restaurant managers should extend operating hours and consider adding more shifts for waitstaff and kitchen crew. They should also anticipate longer ticket times and prepare extra supplies to minimize running out of popular menu items or ingredients.

Streamline Operations

An efficient way for restaurants to handle the busy day is to optimize operations. They can set up separate stations for hosting, bussing tables, and running food to minimize confusion and maximize productivity. Restaurant owners should also ensure point of sale systems and payment terminals are functioning properly to prevent delays. Using a mobile ordering system lets customers pre-order and skip long wait times, allowing staff to focus on high quality food and customer service.

Meet High Expectations

On such a special occasion, customers often anticipate exceptional experiences. Restaurants should aim to provide superior service and food to satisfy guests and encourage return visits. Little touches like complimentary desserts, greeting customers warmly, and checking in on tables can help make lasting impressions. When operations run smoothly and staff gives undivided attention, restaurants have an opportunity to strengthen community relationships and build brand loyalty.

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The Operational Challenges Facing Restaurants on Mother's Day

Restaurants know that Mother's Day means big business, with the National Retail Federation forecasting $35.7 billion in spending this year and $5.6 billion on dining alone. However, the high volume also brings substantial operational difficulties.

Managing High Guest Expectations

On Mother's Day, guests expect an exceptional experience to celebrate their mothers. Meeting inflated expectations with an overwhelmed staff can lead to issues with rushed cooks and busy servers, reducing quality. Using mobile ordering and payment solutions allows servers to focus on hospitality and cooks to focus on high-quality meals. With pre-ordering, restaurants can prepare and cook efficiently while still delivering a great experience.

Navigating Limited Seating

Many restaurants cannot increase their physical space, limiting the number of guests they can serve. Pre-ordering and staggered reservation times allow restaurants to optimize their layout and seat more guests without diminishing the experience. By pre-ordering, guests can arrive, get seated, and have their food quickly, freeing up tables faster.

Preventing Long Wait Times

Nobody wants to spend Mother's Day waiting in endless lines or dealing with exasperating waits for food. Per Diem Mobile ordering and payment systems allow guests to order and pay ahead, skipping the line to get seated immediately. Their pre-ordered meals will be ready quickly, letting them get on with celebrating.

While Mother's Day will always be one of the busiest days of the year, technology and operational changes can help restaurants rise to the occasion. With efficient processes and a focus on hospitality, restaurants can turn a day of dread into an opportunity to shine. By pre-empting challenges, keeping quality and service high, and giving guests an exceptional experience, restaurants may find the busiest day of the year can also be the most rewarding.

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Why Restaurants Dread Mother's Day - Long Lines and Stressed Staff

Managing Long Wait Times and Lines

The influx of customers on Mother's Day frequently results in excessively long wait times and lines that test the patience of both diners and staff. Customers expect quick, attentive service, especially on a day meant for celebration, but restaurants struggle to fulfill such high expectations under the additional operational pressures. Integrating mobile ordering systems and pre-ordering options could help mitigate lengthy wait times by allowing customers to place orders in advance. With orders placed ahead of time, restaurants can better prepare and organize staffing to meet demand.

Stressed and Overworked Staff

For servers, bartenders, chefs, and other restaurant staff, Mother's Day often descends into chaos and "hell." Handling the high volume of customers and their demands on an already busy day adds significant stress. The additional workload requires longer shifts, fewer breaks, and little reprieve for staff. While the influx of customers does translate into potentially higher tips for servers, the increased stress and demands frequently make the additional compensation seem inadequate. With mobile systems to facilitate orders and payments, staff may gain a greater ability to focus on customer experience over manual tasks.

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Tips to Boost Efficiency and Revenue on Mother's Day

Ensuring operational efficiency and strong revenue on Mother’s Day requires advance planning and preparation. By implementing the following recommendations, restaurants can turn one of their busiest and most stressful days into a profitable success.

Offer Pre-Ordering and Reservations

Allowing customers to pre-order and make reservations in advance through your website or Per Diem app helps manage high demand and long wait times. With pre-ordering, kitchen staff can prepare dishes ahead of time, reducing ticket times and improving the overall dining experience. Reservations also allow you to strategically stagger arrival times, avoiding overcrowding.

Increase Staffing Levels

Having adequate staffing, especially in the kitchen and service areas, is essential to meeting the high volume of customers on Mother’s Day while maintaining quality and efficiency. Consider scheduling extra line cooks, food runners, bussers, and hosts to keep up with demand. Well-staffed restaurants are able to turn over tables quickly, reducing wait times and serving more customers.

Offer Special Promotions and Packages

Create special Mother’s Day promotions, like prix fixe brunch menus, gift cards, retail items, and event tickets to boost revenue. Package deals and bundles also encourage larger purchases. Discounts and promotions advertised on your website and social media in the weeks leading up to Mother’s Day will draw interest from customers looking to treat mom on her special day.

Express Appreciation for Your Staff

With the long hours and increased workload, it’s important to show your staff appreciation for their efforts on such a busy day. Consider providing meals, snacks, and beverages to keep energy and morale high. You might also offer small bonuses or gift cards as a thank you for a job well done. Acknowledging your staff’s hard work will make the challenging day more bearable and help retain your valuable employees.

Following these recommendations will allow your restaurant to make the most of the revenue opportunities Mother’s Day provides while also ensuring an efficient, high-quality experience for your customers. With some advance planning, this day doesn’t have to be dreaded and can instead become one of your most profitable.

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Mobile Ordering Apps Can Transform the Mother's Day Experience

Enhance Operational Efficiency

Mobile ordering apps allow customers to place orders in advance, reducing wait times and improving table turnover. By inputting orders ahead of the meal, kitchen staff can prepare dishes in an organized fashion, minimizing confusion and errors. Servers are also freed from constantly taking orders, enabling them to provide higher quality service. A study by PYMNTS found that restaurants utilizing mobile ordering apps experienced up to 24% higher sales volume on busy days.

Offer Contactless Options

In a post-pandemic world, contactless delivery and takeout are attractive to safety-conscious customers. Our app allows diners to order and pay ahead with Apple Pay, then simply pick up their meal at a designated time, avoiding lineups and interactions. For restaurants, this means capturing sales from customers who prefer contactless options, which now comprise a sizable portion of the market.

Target Tech-Savvy Generations

Younger generations, especially Millennials and Generation Z, prefer digital solutions and are more likely to use mobile apps. On Mother's Day, treating moms to brunch is a popular activity among these age groups. By providing a mobile ordering option, restaurants have an opportunity to draw in these demographics and gain their loyalty through a seamless experience.

While Mother’s Day will always present difficulties, mobile ordering apps are tools for restaurants to boost efficiency, sales, and customer satisfaction during this busy period. By enhancing operational processes, offering contactless choices, and targeting tech-savvy generations, restaurants can make the most of the holiday and change their perception of Mother’s Day from dread to delight. Overall, mobile apps provide solutions to help restaurants improve the experience for staff and diners alike on one of the most demanding days of the year.

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Final Thoughts

As restaurants nationwide brace for the second-busiest day of the year, remember that technology can be your lifeline. With online ordering and table management, this Mother's Day doesn't have to be hell. Integrating solutions like a white-label mobile app, with features tailored for high-volume days, will streamline operations and improve customer satisfaction. When integrated with your Square POS, our app helps your staff deliver the high-quality service mothers expect. Don't let the $35.7 billion projected to be spent at restaurants overwhelm you. Embrace technology, value your team, and make this Mother’s Day one for the books.

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