By Waylon Cunningham
April 21 (Reuters) - Americans taking Mom out to eat this Mother's Day should expect to pay more - but many will still go, according to a report from the Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute Project released on Tuesday.
The restaurant bill for Mother's Day - the second biggest day for dining out after Valentine's Day - will reach $67 this year, up 4% from last year, when Wells Fargo credit card data showed an average spend of $64 on sit-down dining.
The cause is simple. “It’s labor costs,
everywhere you look,” the institute’s chief agricultural economist Michael Swanson said.
Wages make up the majority of restaurant costs and have risen 3.8% over the last year in the hospitality sector, outpacing overall wage growth and tracking closely with the 3.9% increase in menu prices, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Department of Agriculture.
Food costs are also a factor. Beef prices are up 17% year-over-year, putting pressure on steakhouse menus in particular. Egg prices have fallen sharply, however, from a peak of $5.12 per dozen in April 2025 to $2.50 in February 2026, in a bit of relief for brunch spots.
Diners are still eating out, but sales growth has moderated from the industry’s long post-pandemic surge, Swanson said.
Xavier Walton in San Antonio, who juggles a busy schedule working in property management along with classes for computer science, said that he has cut back from a period of time when he ate out nearly every meal.
He and his family, following tradition, plan to eat out after church on Mother’s Day.
“Restaurants have become more of a luxury,” he said. But for Mother’s Day, “you just have to do it,” he said.
(Reporting by Waylon Cunningham; editing by David Gaffen)
