Dining out beats breakfast in bed for Mother's Day, survey says
Only 4% of moms want breakfast in bed, while 42% would rather go out with family. The winning Mother’s Day gift is a reservation, not a tray.
Breakfast in bed is losing the argument with moms themselves. OpenTable’s April 21 research found that 42% of moms and mom figures would rather go out to eat with family for Mother’s Day, while just 4% choose the croissants-on-a-tray routine. The reason is almost painfully practical: messiness tops the list of breakfast-in-bed complaints, followed by cleanup afterward.
That shift matters because dining out is no longer just a nice add-on to the day, it is the day for a lot of families. OpenTable said 62% of Americans consider dining out an important part of Mother’s Day, and 38% plan to celebrate with multiple generations. Parties of six or more grew 13% year over year in 2025, which tells you exactly where the celebration is heading: bigger tables, louder rooms, and fewer people pretending they can cook and clean fast enough before noon.
If you are planning the gift now, the smartest move is to book early. Cheryl Paniagua, OpenTable’s vice president of restaurant sales and services, said most reservations are made more than a week in advance, and that timing matters more than the flowers. Noon remains the most popular dining hour, but 5 p.m. dinners rose 14% in 2025, a useful clue for families who want to dodge the brunch crush and keep the holiday from feeling rushed. OpenTable’s 2026 Top 100 Brunch Restaurants list is built from more than 10 million diner reviews, diner ratings and reservation demand, with California placing 19 restaurants on the list and New York 12.
The spending picture backs up the same trend. The National Retail Federation expects Mother’s Day spending to hit a record $38 billion, with average spending at $284.25 per person. Special outings like dinner or brunch rank among the top gift categories at 63%, ahead of gift cards and clothing or accessories. They still trail flowers and greeting cards, but they are the category that turns the whole day into an experience instead of another object to unwrap.
The strongest proof that this is more than a trend came years ago. Ipsos found in 2014 that 31% of Americans already marked Mother’s Day by taking moms out for brunch, lunch or dinner. OpenTable’s new numbers simply show that the habit has hardened. In New York, 72% say dining out is an important part of the celebration, and 66% of Angelenos say the same. The message is clear: moms do not want another tray in bed. They want a table, a reservation and somebody else handling the dishes.
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