Moms Don’t Want Phones at the Table: #DiningMode

OpenTable Encourages Diners to get into #DiningMode This Mother’s Day with the Gift of Uninterrupted Conversation

Survey reveals 74 percent of adults check their phone at least once while dining out and 41 percent still get scolded by their moms about it; Nearly 70 OpenTable restaurants in Canada opted in to support #DiningMode

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 present and connecting over a great meal. All diners can participate while dining out at any restaurant or by visiting one of the nearly 70 OpenTable restaurants in Canada or one of the nearly 500 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* of Canadians commissioned by OpenTable, 76 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: 82 percent of diners have been annoyed by their dining companion’s phone use in the past. 25 percent say they actually avoid eating with companions who overuse their phones. 69 percent of respondents at least somewhat agree that they feel 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.

“We discovered that 74 percent of diners use their phone at the table while eating with others,” 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 truly connect over a fabulous meal.”

Some of the participating restaurants in Canada include the Cascade Room in Vancouver, the Yellow Door Bistro in Calgary and the Terroni restaurants in Toronto.

“We want people connecting with each other, enjoying the environment and their meals,” said Holly Parks, Director of Food and Beverage, Hotel Arts Group. “We’d like every meal to be a Dining Mode meal in Yellow Door Bistro.”

To learn more about the #DiningMode campaign, visit: https://www.opentable.ca/diningmode. Join the conversation with #DiningMode.

*This OpenTable survey of 1,000 adults in Canada (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.

Media release provided by Jill Lindsay, Media Profile.

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