Why Mother’s Day is the most hated among restaurants

() — Mother’s Day is one of the busiest dates for restaurants in the United States. It is also famous among waiters and restaurant staff for being one of the most exhausting days.

“Every bartender knows that working on Mother’s Day is hell. In fact, if I die and go to hell, I totally imagine it would be like Mother’s Day. 365 days a year,” Darron Cardosa wrote in his book “The Bitchy Waiter: I’m Really Good at Pretending to Care”.

What’s wrong with it? From large groups that flock to it (“most of us are here!”), to fussy eater kids and grandmas, to splitting the bill dramas and staying for hours over a single cup of coffee, restaurants hate these holidays. This year is set to be especially difficult, as high inflation and rising menu prices give some diners an extra sense of entitlement.

Joe Haley, an artist who works as a waiter at an Italian-American restaurant in Quincy, Massachusetts, says: “The anticipation can make you anxious. It gets crowded. People call last minute to make reservations, there are other people who have done several reservations so their mother can choose and they never cancel… people who take their mother out once a year tell you ‘Nothing can go wrong!’

But it happens. With large tables, a couple of late arrivals can cause chaos in the kitchen. “And every family has at least one black sheep or in-law who can’t even be counted on to save a life. Mother’s Day terrifies me,” adds Haley.

Chefs, waiters and owners say customers have set their expectations very high this year: special-occasion meals at a time of rising food prices. In a post-pandemic world, luxury, or rather the appearance of luxury and excess, is “in”. Across the country, customers will be upset if their $30 eggs Benedict aren’t covered in caviar on Sunday.

Tastes have literally changed since Covid, said chef Art Smith, who has been a personal chef for Oprah Winfrey and Jeb Bush. It will serve hundreds of dishes on Mother’s Day at its four restaurants, including Homecomin, at Disney Springs, Walt Disney World.

The people who visit it? “They drink more. They want more carbs — if it’s mac and cheese, it has to be the most cheesy. But they also want salads and more vegetarian sides. They just want more.”

A busy day for restaurants

The National Retail Federation forecasts Mother’s Day spending this year to hit $35.7 billion, with a record $5.6 billion in dining or outings alone, up 6% from last year. It’s the second-busiest day in the restaurant business, dwarfed only by Valentine’s Day, according to online reservations site OpenTable.

Mother’s Day is “an operational challenge,” says Shawn Walchef, owner of five Cali BBQ restaurants in the San Diego area. “It’s the busiest day of the year and also the day that customers have the highest expectations.” He, too, expects some buzz over patio tables: “In Southern California, everyone wants to sit outside.”

For many restaurants, this is the first major holiday since 2019 that hasn’t been overshadowed by the pandemic. “It’s a lot of people gathering that haven’t been seen in a while,” said owner Binh Douglas, who opened Main Prospect in Southampton, New York, about 18 months ago.

He expects Sunday diners to spend 40% more than usual, with a third of adults adding the $19.95 “bottomless mimosa” to their meal. Fortunately, prices for eggs and seafood have come down in recent weeks, she said.

rising prices

But inflation has left its mark on Mother’s Day brunch. At the Breakers in Palm Beach, Mother’s Day brunch at The Circle restaurant is $250 per person (compared to $160 in 2019), with unlimited champagne cocktails and a harpist touring the table. table.

At family-friendly McLoone’s Boathouse in West Orange, New Jersey, which also houses a waterfront buffet, brunch went from $49.95 in 2019 to $54.95.

The prices are delicate. “Your Mother’s Day meal can’t be obnoxiously expensive,” said Derek Axelrod, co-owner of Manhattan’s Upper East Side restaurant Bar T. His Mother’s Day menu will probably cost more than $100 per person, but it won’t bring them much profit. For this they count on liquor sales. Meanwhile, Bar T is adding touches like a fois gras, cranberry and chicken parfait to the menu.

The servers and owners are also under pressure to “sell the lobster”. Seven different restaurants at the Las Vegas Venetian Resort serve Mother’s Day meals that include lobster. (The resort’s summary of all its Mother’s Day menus notes that a subsequent gondola ride costs $39 more.)

Ophelia, a rooftop restaurant near the United Nations in New York, solves the “luxury” problem by offering a menu where Mom has it all: fried quail egg, lobster, filet mignon, waffles and smoked salmon, but beware: it is a presentation of “small bites” for US$ 59 per person.

In Naples, Florida, the Veranda E restaurant’s Sunday burger will be served under glass, and a cloud of smoke will rise as it is uncovered. “It’s something new for us,” says owner Mary Brandt, who will have four generations of women in her family at the restaurant.

To maximize profits and seats, restaurant chains are also making adjustments. Ruth’s Chris Steak House, with locations in some three dozen states, opens several for breakfast or Mother’s Day brunch; at the one in Fort Worth, there will be wild blueberry pancakes. And some Red Lobsters offer moms a coupon for 10% off their next meal, including the Ultimate Endless Shrimp Feast.

So book now and tip your waiter. Of all the holidays, Mother’s Day is considered so stressful for workers that the National Restaurant Association recommends that owners make sure their servers are “fed and properly hydrated” and give them a bonus for ” combat duty,” especially to the staff mothers working that shift.

Quincy waiter Joe Haley has a better idea: “Why can’t you guys make your mom breakfast?”