(April 26, 2012 - the Packer)—Foodservice produce distributors expect another strong Mother’s Day, with demand for strawberries, asparagus and other commodities spiking for the busiest day of the year for restaurants.

“Traditionally, it’s our No. 1 produce day,” said Bill Sewell, director of produce and dairy for Fort Worth, Texas-based distributor Ben E. Keith Foods.

The restaurant industry approaches Mother’s Day in good shape, Sewell said — at least as measured by produce volume growth for foodservice distributors like Ben E. Keith.

“For the year, starting July 1 (2011), we’ve seen over double-digit growth on cases,” he said.

The National Restaurant Association expects restaurant traffic on Mother’s Day to be similar to last year, when an estimated 75 million Americans ate in restaurants, said Annika Stensson, director of media relations for the Washington, D.C.-based association.

Read more on The Packer's website. [4]