"There's more people who are planning, you know, Mother's Day brunch or special outing, but we're not back at where we were pre-pandemic," said Katherine Cullen, senior director of industry and consumer insights at the National Retail Federation. "I think there's still a little bit of hesitancy on the part of consumers to kind of plan those types of activities." In a recent survey by the trade group, only about half of 7,818 consumers polled said they were planning a special outing for the holiday, despite consumers expecting to spend more on the occasion. Many restaurants, mindful of the wariness, are offering Mother's Day brunch and dinner menus for pickup or prepped meals you can cook at home.