OpenTable’s U.S. data shows Mother’s Day restaurant bookings concentrate around brunch, but dinner and large parties also matter: on May 11, 2025, more than 53% of platform reservations were for 10 a.m.–4 p.m., while 40% were for 4–9 p.m. The figures describe reservations at active OpenTable restaurants—not all U.S. restaurant visits—and the available sources do not establish a national total for Mother’s Day restaurant sales dollars.
What Mother’s Day restaurant data measures
The strongest current numbers describe reservation behavior on OpenTable, alongside a separate comparison of per-person spending for OpenTable Experiences. They are useful indicators of demand, not a census of the restaurant industry. Walk-ins, bookings made through other channels, and restaurants that do not use OpenTable are outside those platform figures.
Sales claims need particular care. Neither the platform data nor the National Restaurant Association survey provides a representative national total of Mother’s Day restaurant sales or an industrywide average check. Reservation shares are not sales shares, and plans stated in a survey are not completed transactions.
When do people go out to eat on Mother’s Day?
OpenTable reported the following booking-time distribution for U.S. seated reservations at active platform restaurants on Mother’s Day, May 11, 2025:
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| Reservation time | Share of OpenTable bookings |
|---|---|
| 10 a.m.–4 p.m. (brunch window) | Over 53% |
| 4–7 p.m. | 19% |
| 7–9 p.m. | 21% |
These are shares of platform bookings, not of all restaurant visits or industry sales. OpenTable also reported that dining at 5 p.m. increased 14% year over year, comparing May 11, 2025 with May 12, 2024. The combination suggests operators should account for early dinner demand rather than treating brunch as the only busy service. OpenTable’s 2025 Mother’s Day booking data and 2026 trend announcement describe the platform figures.
How large are Mother’s Day restaurant parties?
On OpenTable in the United States on May 11, 2025, over 72% of seated reservations were for parties of two to four, while nearly 16% were for parties of six or more. OpenTable reported that six-plus parties increased 13% year over year, comparing 2025 with May 12, 2024. The figures show why a plan designed only around tables for couples or small families may miss a material share of booked demand. They do not establish the party-size mix for restaurants outside the platform. OpenTable’s booking overview provides the party-size shares; its 2026 announcement gives the year-over-year comparison.
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When should you book a Mother’s Day restaurant?
Book early if you have a preferred restaurant, time, or larger party. OpenTable says 37% of its U.S. Mother’s Day 2025 reservations were made at least eight days in advance. That is a substantial early-booking share, but it does not mean every restaurant follows the same timeline or that availability will remain open until a particular date. Check the restaurant’s own reservation page, and contact it directly if your party size or timing is not available online. OpenTable’s Mother’s Day restaurant playbook reports the lead-time figure.
What the sales and spending evidence does—and does not—show
OpenTable reports that, based on available U.S. POS data, restaurants offering OpenTable Experiences had 50% higher spend per guest than standard reservations. This is a company-reported comparison between Experience covers and standard covers, not proof that Experiences caused higher spending, and it should not be generalized to every restaurant or guest. OpenTable describes the comparison in its Mother’s Day insights and operator playbook.
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How restaurants can prepare for Mother’s Day reservations
Make availability visible early
Because a substantial share of bookings came at least eight days ahead, publish reservation availability and the menu or special experience while early planners are making decisions. The lead-time figure is a platform result, not a universal booking deadline.
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Plan for more than brunch
Use the restaurant’s own reservation history to forecast demand by seating, with attention to both brunch and evening service. OpenTable’s time-window shares and 5 p.m. year-over-year increase can inform questions to investigate, but they should not replace local occupancy and cover records.
Account for larger parties and off-premises orders
Review whether the floor plan, table combinations, staffing, and booking rules can handle six-plus parties without disrupting smaller reservations. If takeout or delivery is part of the business, plan that channel separately: the NRA’s 2023 survey indicates that some consumers intended to use it, but does not predict a particular restaurant’s order volume.
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Use reservation controls that fit the operation
Deposits, prepaid menus, and clear cancellation policies may be worth considering where they suit the restaurant’s service model and local rules. OpenTable recommends these tactics, but its materials do not establish guaranteed results for every restaurant. Make terms clear before a guest books, and ensure staff can apply them consistently.
Use local records to make the final forecast
Compare the restaurant’s own prior Mother’s Day results, where available, rather than translating national or platform shares directly into a staffing or revenue target. Useful measures include:
- covers by time slot and party size;
- reservation lead time, cancellations, and no-shows;
- average check and turn times;
- labor hours and food cost; and
- the mix of dine-in, takeout, delivery, and booking channels.
Mother’s Day falls on a different date each year, and demand can also vary with location, restaurant type, weather, capacity, and local customs. Those factors make a restaurant’s own comparable records more useful for final planning than any single platform-wide pattern.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the 2026 survey says about diner preferences
OpenTable reported that 42% of moms and mom figures ranked dining out as their top Mother’s Day gift preference. The figure comes from a Ripple Research online survey of 1,500 U.S. consumers celebrating Mother’s Day, conducted March 16–19, 2026. It measures stated preference among survey respondents, not bookings or realized spending. OpenTable VP of Restaurant Sales & Services Cheryl Paniagua described dining out as the gift moms want most, referring to that survey finding in the company’s April 21, 2026 announcement.
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