This past weekend, I shared a post on LinkedIn reflecting on what has become an annual tradition in the restaurant industry: the Mother’s Day meltdown.
It’s one of the busiest days of the year—and yet, every year, restaurants find themselves in the same predicament. The volume hits. The kitchen gets slammed. Tickets back up. Guests get frustrated. And leadership teams are left wondering how it happened again.
The truth is, we all know how it happens.
The rush is predictable. The chaos is avoidable. But the systems in place—especially when it comes to digital ordering and off-premise fulfillment—aren’t built to flex when pressure hits.
Here’s the reality:
- Orders flood in through multiple channels with no orchestration.
- Kitchens get overloaded, especially with simultaneous dine-in, takeout, and delivery orders.
- Guests and drivers wait around with no accurate updates.
- Staff gets overwhelmed, and performance suffers.
And next year? It’ll happen all over again—unless we decide to do something different.
There’s a Better Way. We Built It at Curbit.
At Curbit, we’re solving this problem head-on with dynamic capacity management tools that help restaurants navigate these high-pressure days with confidence. Our platform was built to address the exact pain points that bubble up on days like Mother’s Day—and honestly, every Friday night.
Here’s how:
- Dynamic Order Orchestration: We continuously adjust order flow based on real-time kitchen capacity so your team isn’t underwater.
- Order Throttling: Incoming orders are automatically prioritized and sequenced to avoid bottlenecks.
- Guest & Driver Updates: We give customers accurate timing—via SMS—so they show up when the food is actually ready.
- Data-Driven Insights: We give operators a clear view into patterns so they can plan, staff, and pace orders with confidence.
The goal isn’t just to survive Mother’s Day. It’s to run your operations with resilience and predictability—every day of the year.
It’s Time to Break the Cycle
We don’t need to be surprised anymore. We have the tools, the data, and the tech to do better—for our teams, our customers, and our bottom line.
Let’s make this the last year we say, “We didn’t see this coming.”
If you’re ready to break the cycle, let’s talk.