OpenTable survey: 73% of respondents rank a Mother’s Day meal as the No. 1 occasion when people should avoid checking their phones

Survey reveals 85 percent of adults check their phone at least once while dining out and 40 percent still get lectured by their moms about it; Nearly 500 OpenTable restaurants opted in to support #DiningMode

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, 2019-Apr-24 — /Travel PR News/ — OpenTable, the world’s leading provider of online restaurant reservations and part of Booking Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:  BKNG), is encouraging diners to participate in #DiningMode this Mother’s Day by putting aside their phones and giving those they’re with the gift of being truly present and connecting over a great meal. All diners can participate while dining out at any restaurant or visiting one of the nearly 500 OpenTable restaurants worldwide that are supporting the #DiningMode campaign.

#DiningMode is a challenge to people to set aside their phones while dining and connect with those around them this Mother’s Day. To help spark a meaningful conversation around the table, diners can download OpenTable’s conversation starters.

According to a recent survey* commissioned by OpenTable, 73 percent of respondents rank a Mother’s Day meal as the No. 1 occasion when people should avoid checking their phones. The survey also found that nearly one third of adults say sharing a meal together is the most meaningful Mother’s Day gift followed by thoughtful conversation. Additional key takeaways from the survey include:

• Losing Connections: 81 percent of diners have been annoyed by their dinner companion’s phone use in the past. 20 percent say they actually avoid eating with companions who overuse their phones. 75 percent of respondents at least somewhat agree that they use their phone too much.
• Dining Hacks: The most common ‘hacks’ diners use to avoid checking their phones at the table are: turning off their phone (51 percent), turning their phone upside down (49 percent) – with millennials more likely to say they turn their phones face down. Women are 14 percent more likely to say they hide their phone to avoid using it during a meal than men (39 percent to 24 percent).

“We recently discovered that 85 percent of diners check their phones at the table while eating with others at least once,” said Caroline Potter, Chief Dining Officer at OpenTable. “By going into #DiningMode this Mother’s Day, diners will have the opportunity to focus their attention on the mom in their lives and connect over a fabulous meal.”

To help encourage diners to turn off their phones this Mother’s Day, nearly 500 restaurant partners are supporting the #DiningMode campaign. Here are a few examples of what they are doing in the US:

• 10 Corso Como – New York, New York
  • Providing a complimentary dessert and a glass of champagne for those participating in #DiningMode and putting their phone down during the meal.
• Aquagrill – New York, New York
  • Providing a complimentary dessert for mom for tables who don’t check their phones allowing for additional time for conversation.
• Bellini Grill – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Offering moms a free complimentary dessert for those participating in #DiningMode allowing for additional time for conversation.
• Bodegon – Hotel Madrid – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • Providing complimentary champagne for those who opt into #DiningMode.
• Casa Chapala Mexican Cuisine & Tequila Bar – Austin, Texas
  • Offering moms a fresh bouquet of flowers for groups who opt into #DiningMode upon arrival.
• Central Bar + Restaurant – Bellevue, Washington
  • Providing complimentary wine or champagne for moms allowing for more time to connect while dining out.
• Churchill’s – Savannah, Georgia
  • Giving free desserts for tables where every guest gives their phones to a secure area in the back of house office until the check is paid.
• Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse – New York, New York
  • Providing free on-site family photography so diners don’t need to use their phones at all throughout the meal.
• Despaña – Princeton, New Jersey
  • Providing a complimentary dessert for mom for tables who don’t check their phones allowing for additional time for conversation.
• El Jefe – Denver, Colorado
  • Providing moms with a complimentary glass of wine or champagne for tables that opt into #DiningMode.
• ETA Restaurant + Bar – Chicago, Illinois
  • Offering moms a complimentary spa gift as a thank you for all they do and for participating in #DiningMode
• Fig + Farro – Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Offering a free phone check to help families unplug this Mother’s Day.
• Jaya – Miami, Florida
  • Offering moms a chocolate rose as a token of appreciation for Mother’s Day and for participating in #DiningMode.
• La Palapa – New York, New York
  • Providing tables who participate in #DiningMode with complimentary blood orange margaritas.
• Misirizzi – New York, New York
  • Providing complimentary dessert for moms allowing for more time to connect while dining out.
• Partage – Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Offering guests the option to check their phones with the hostess upon arrival.
• Patagonia Grill & Cafe – Houston, Texas
  • Providing complimentary wine or champagne for moms allowing for more time to connect while dining out.
• Russian Tea Time – Chicago, Illinois
  • Offering moms a complimentary cup of house tea to relax and connect with loved ones.
• Severance – Los Angeles, California
  • Offering a free glass of champagne to help adult guests get into #DiningMode.
• SUGA – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Gifting a free Susanna Foo cookbook per table for those participating in #DiningMode as another way to connect with loved ones.

“As a family owned and operated business, taking time to be with your family is so important to us. We love the idea of encouraging diners to be present,” said Leanne Gelish, Restaurant Manager at Mac’s Steakhouse, “Time is the most important gift we can give each other and we’re happy to encourage our diners to put their phone down this Mother’s Day.”

To participate in #DiningMode simply dine out on Mother’s Day, set aside your phone and get to know the people you’re with. OpenTable has provided participating restaurants with conversation starters on coasters and downloadable PDFs to help spark a conversation between diners and their moms. Conversation starters can also be downloaded here. Diners can enter OpenTable’s giveaway for a chance to win a $400 gift card ahead of Mother’s Day. For more information about the giveaway, see the official rules here.

To learn more about the #DiningMode campaign, visit: https://www.opentable.com/diningmode. Join the conversation with #DiningMode. For a complete guide to a delicious Mother’s Day, visit http://www.opentable.com/mothersday.

*This OpenTable survey of 1,000 adults in the U.S. (18 years or older) was conducted on March 19, 2019.

About OpenTable:
OpenTable, part of Booking Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), is the world’s leading provider of online restaurant reservations, with more than 50,000 restaurants globally using its software to seat over 120 million diners monthly. OpenTable helps diners discover and book the perfect table and helps restaurants deliver personalized hospitality to keep guests coming back.

Contact:
Laura Arrubla
212-981-5181
Laura_Arrubla@dkcnews.com

SOURCE: OpenTable, Inc.

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