Mother's Day Dining Trends from OpenTable

Mother’s Day is only a few weeks away and according to a new survey by OpenTable, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPEN), a leading provider of free, real-time online restaurant reservations for diners and reservation and guest management solutions for restaurants, this year, moms will be dictating Mother’s Day dining plans with 65 percent of moms revealing they will be in charge of booking their own dining reservations.

"Mother's Day has always been one of the biggest dining holidays of the year – and with good reason," said Caroline Potter, Chief Dining Officer of OpenTable. "Being a mother is one of the most important jobs in the world, and there's no better way to acknowledge her hard work than with a fabulous, fun meal – or two – at a restaurant. Brunch is typically the most popular reservation on Mother's Day, but, in fact, some families dine out more than once, to make sure mom has a day and night to remember."

Over half of those polled (58 percent) said brunch was unquestionably a part of their Mother’s Day plans, though an evening meal followed in a close second with 39 percent of respondents planning on a Mother’s Day dinner. About a quarter of respondents said they planned to dine out for more than one meal on Mother’s Day. The vast majority of respondents (81 percent) admitted they will be enjoying at least one alcoholic beverage to celebrate Mom.

And when it comes to pampering moms, gifts are another great way to show appreciation and make this day extra special on top of a marvelous meal. An equal percentage of moms (28 percent) are hoping for a day at the spa or weekend getaway, while other moms seek something a little different:
· 21 percent appreciate flowers
· 12 percent prefer jewelry
· 11 percent hope for a new iPad

Regardless of which moms are celebrating this Mother’s Day, the economy doesn’t seem to be putting a damper on anyone’s plans. Of those dining out for the holiday this year, 20 percent intend on spending more than last year, while 75 percent look to spend the same amount as last year. Yet maintaining spending habits doesn’t mean that diners aren’t looking out for valuable deals too. OpenTable survey respondents showed their affinity for getting that bang for their buck with 46 percent citing that Mother’s Day specials play the most important factor when choosing a restaurant; restaurants having brunch menus came in second with 34 percent.

Interestingly, when making the decision on where to dine, ensuring the restaurant is kid-friendly doesn’t appear to be a big priority for survey respondents as more than half (51 percent) said no children will be in their dining party. Another family-friendly dining issue that relates to new moms dining with a nursing baby elicited an equally divisive reaction from OpenTable survey respondents: A little more than half (55 percent) of those surveyed feel it is appropriate to breastfeed in restaurants.

When it comes to celebrating our number one mom – however biased that title can be – OpenTable discovered their diners have no shortage of love for Julia Roberts (36 percent), who ranked as the mom that survey respondents would want to dine with most. Mom-to-be Reese Witherspoon followed as a close second with 24 percent and mother-of-six Angelina Jolie crept in third with 13 percent. Halle Berry (10 percent) and Jennifer Lopez (9 percent) trailed in fourth and fifth respectfully, while rocker-mom Gwen Stefani came in last with 8 percent.

For diners still searching for the right restaurant, OpenTable provides local Mother’s Day specials and menu details for May 13 as well as Diners’ Choice Best Brunch lists. Diners can also find more tips and trends regarding Mother’s Day on the “Dining Check” blog at OpenTable: http://blog.opentable.com.