7 ways to increase bookings at your venue this Mother's Day

We know you want a packed-out venue this Mother’s Day, so here are 7 ways to increase bookings at your hospitality business, making the most of the holiday.

1. Tell your customers about your offer

Email should be your first port of call in letting your regular customers know about your Mother’s Day offer. Reach out to your customer database specifically for Mother's Day with personalised messages that highlight your special offerings, exclusive menus, and any early bird promotions. 

Celebrating with a family meal out is a popular Mother's Day tradition for many mums. Consider offering Mother's Day special family deals that cater to larger groups looking to celebrate Mother's Day together. Family packages with set menus, discounted pricing for kids' meals, and group reservations can attract families wanting to treat Mom on her special day. Promote these offerings across your marketing channels and make booking convenient through online or app reservations. Family-friendly additions like speciality mocktails, dessert platters to share, and take-home treats for mum make great additions

How to target families with your offer:

• Make sure you have a child-friendly menu offering alongside your special Mother’s Day menu
• Don’t forget about keeping the kids entertained so mums and grandmas can enjoy a hassle-free visit – activity packs, board games, or even having a bouncy castle available are great ways to keep smaller guests entertained during their visit
• Offer upgrades like a photo of the table to keep, champagne on arrival or flowers on the table to build a special experience.

In addition, you can manage all communications with your bookings ahead of the day. You can share your menu, offer pre-order, and upgrade options and send reminders to ensure your day runs smoothly. And don't forget to email after the event as well with a tempting return offer or invitation to leave a review. 

Here's everything you need to know about restaurant marketing automation.  

2. Optimise your website 

Promote your Mother's Day special offer and create a convenient way to book through your website. Create a dedicated landing page or feature prominent banners or sections highlighting your offerings, menus, and promotions by leveraging high-quality visuals, compelling copy, and strategic calls to action. Implement a straightforward and user-friendly reservation system directly on your website, reducing friction for visitors looking to book a table. 

3. Promote through social media

Social media is a great way to get the word out about your Mother’s Day event. Get some amazing photos of your menu items, upgrades and venue and head to Instagram – making sure you optimise your post by using local and relevant hashtags. When promoting your Mother's Day offerings, remember you are also marketing your restaurant overall. Posting appealing, high-quality photos of your food and restaurant interior will help boost engagement and interest and make a strong impression on potential guests browsing your platforms.

Our restaurant reservation software allows you to manage booking enquiries coming through social media in the same system as your other channels, making real-time booking more accurate and reliable and improving conversion. You can then manage all email communications about the booking from the same system as well as send reminders, menus, and pre-order information.

4. Extend the celebration over the weekend

Don’t limit yourself to one day. Many people appreciate the flexibility of being able to celebrate their special event outside of the day itself. Enhance Mother's Day festivities by extending the celebration over the weekend to accommodate varying schedules and preferences. As 83% of Brits still consider the holiday an important one (source), this extended celebration allows you to cater to a broader audience, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to honour mothers throughout the weekend.

Celebrate Mother’s Day with special brunch or dinner events on both Saturday and Sunday, and promote weekend packages, exclusive menus, or discounted rates for guests celebrating on multiple days. Emphasise the flexibility of your offerings, providing families and individuals the option to choose the date that suits them best. 

5. Customise your menu with Mother’s Day specials

Make your Mother's Day menu special by crafting exclusive seasonal dishes and themed drinks available on this day only. A consumer survey found that 76% of UK respondents actively seek out special offers and promotions when making dining decisions. Introducing creative, limited-time specials is an effective strategy to boost bookings and revenue on Mother's Day and gives customers an incentive to choose your venue to celebrate the holiday. 

With Mother's Day arriving in early spring, craft your menu with seasonally appropriate and indulgent ingredients. Incorporate fresh spring produce like asparagus, peas, and berries into appetisers, entrees, and desserts. Promote these special items across your website and on social media to generate buzz, showing you have gone above and beyond to make Mother’s Day memorable.

6. Host a Mother’s Day event

Providing a delicious meal is only the first step in creating a memorable Mother's Day celebration. This year, give guests more of what they want and go beyond the food by organising special events and activities that mothers will talk about for years. 

Consider hosting engaging events like these at your restaurant to make Mother's Day memorable:

• Mother's Day brunch with DIY flower-arranging stations
• Bottomless mimosa and live music event
• Cocktail-making class 
• Dessert tasting and coffee pairing workshop
• Mother's Day edition trivia or bingo night
• Paint and sip class with complimentary charcuterie boards
• Photo booth with custom Mother's Day props for family photos
• Special guest chef cooking demonstration and Q&A

By throwing a special event, you're not only setting yourself apart from the crowd, but you're also creating an unforgettable experience that makes your restaurant the go-to spot for celebrating special events. 

Get inspired and check these 2024 Mother's Day activities. 

7. Offer takeaway 

Not everyone may want to celebrate dining out. Accommodate customers celebrating Mother's Day at home by providing takeaway and delivery options. Provide clear instructions on ordering takeaway or delivery, whether via a third party or directly on your website, allowing customers to efficiently select dishes and complete purchases in just a few clicks.

If there is a lot of competition in your area or you think you could use an extra boost to get more orders, consider offering a complimentary dessert or drink for moms on their special day. This added freebie makes takeout and delivery extra enticing, driving more orders, and it also enhances the at-home dining experience, letting families treat moms a little extra. 

Get sorted ahead of time

When planning for this year's Mother's Day celebration in your venue, think about it as an investment in the success and reputation of your restaurant, as a positive experience can lead to flattering reviews and a wealth of happy customers who are likely to return. 

Make sure your Mother’s Day event goes off without a hitch by utilising tools within your Access Collins restaurant booking system:

• Taking pre-orders ahead of busy holiday days can help ensure you order the correct amount of supplies
• By taking payments at the point of order, you can guarantee revenue and minimise cancellations
• Optimise the space so you can take as many bookings as possible, turn tables quicker and manage multiple large parties (you can do this using our table management software) 
• Access your one-click run sheet generator to break down your heads throughout the day and keep track of all table requirements and details.

Get in touch with us today for a personalised consultation where we can help you assess your restaurant software needs.