National Restaurant Association Research Finds Mother's Day Most Popular Day of the Year to Dine Out 4/27/2004
From: Katharine Kim, 202-331-5939, or Brad Dayspring, 202-331-5902, both of the National Restaurant Association, media@dineout.org WASHINGTON, April 27 -- It is a longstanding Mother's Day tradition to show appreciation for family matriarchs by celebrating Mother's Day at a restaurant. In fact, National Restaurant Association research shows nearly 4 out of 10 Americans (38 percent) dine out on Mother's Day, which falls on May 9 this year, compared to 30 percent in 1996. "On Mother's Day, many families honor the women in their lives by taking them out for a special restaurant meal," said Association President and Chief Executive Officer Steven C. Anderson. "Although restaurants are an essential part of Americans' lives throughout the year, they also serve as a social oasis in times of celebration and special occasions. The Association's Holiday Dining 2004 survey indicates that dining out on Mother's Day is more common among larger households- almost half (44 percent) of adults in households consisting of three or more individuals ate a Mother's Day meal at a restaurant last year, compared to about one-quarter (24 percent) of one- person households. Respondents under age 25 and those people age 35 to 44 were more likely than older respondents to dine out on Mother's Day, 47 percent and 42 percent, respectively. Mother's Day is the second most popular holiday or occasion to dine out, following only birthdays. The study was conducted in February 2004 by the National Restaurant Association. A chart of the percentage of adults who dine at a restaurant on Mother's Day by household size is available on the Association's Web site, http://www.restaurant.org/pressroom. ------ The National Restaurant Association, founded in 1919, is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which is comprised of 878,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a work force of 12 million employees -- making it the cornerstone of the economy, career opportunities and community involvement. Along with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Association works to represent, educate and promote the rapidly growing industry. For more information, visit its Web site at http://www.restaurant.org. |