Mother's Day rush fills Connecticut restaurants, activities statewide

Connecticut businesses saw a surge of customers on Mother’s Day, as families filled restaurants and booked activities to celebrate.

From dining rooms to candle-making shops, reservations and appointments were in high demand across the state. At The Mill on the River in South Windsor, one of the area’s most popular restaurants, the holiday brought an especially large crowd.

It’s a bustling dinner rush at the restaurant, with tables packed for the occasion.

“This weekend is probably one of the busiest out of any other holiday,” said Alexis Wolf, general manager at The Mill on the River.

Wolf said the restaurant handled about 1,100 reservations for Mother’s Day, significantly more than the roughly four hundred it typically sees on a regular Sunday for brunch and dinner service. The crowds were even larger this year as the holiday coincided with UConn commencement.

“All hands are on deck for sure today,” Wolf said.

Families gathered to enjoy a special holiday menu or buffet-style dining for larger groups, celebrating mothers with meals and time together.

“Families want to celebrate their mothers. They do so much work every day and it’s really nice to see everybody get together,” Wolf said.

The Mother’s Day rush extended beyond restaurants.

At Weha Candle Co. in West Hartford, candle-making sessions were fully booked, with some customers turned away due to high demand.

“It’s always busy just like other holidays are like our busy season, but Mother’s Day is always a special event here,” said owner Philip Dube.

According to the National Retail Federation, 63% of people surveyed planned to celebrate Mother’s Day with a meal or activity this year, a trend Dube said he sees firsthand.

“Everybody wants to do something special with mom and experiences are fun so they like to bring her in and make some candles,” Dube said.

Whether dining out or creating something together, many families across Connecticut spent the day making sure mothers felt appreciated.

“A lot of them do cook everyday for their families so this day, they’re pampered, they’re taken care of and it’s really nice to see,” Wolf said.

The Mill on the River said other busy holidays for the restaurant include Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve.

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