HOLIDAY IS BOON TO RESTAURANTS IN REGION

Perhaps the only people who like Mother's Day more than moms are restaurant owners. The parent-honoring holiday packs customers in like no other.

Americans take their mothers out to dinner so Mom has a day off from cooking, dishes and other household chores. Extended families often join together for a group celebration at their restaurant of choice.

Thousands chose Ryan's Family Steakhouse this year. At 10 a.m., the line of cars for people headed to the eatery was backed up onto Route K. Ryan's was supposed to open at 11 a.m., but workers let people in an hour early.

Families stood in the hot sun sipping free ice water and juice as the line inched inside. One woman stood with her sister, daughter-in-law and grandson for half an hour.

"We're used to standing in line because we eat at Lambert's down in Sikeston all the time," Icie M. Clark of Pulaski, Ill., said.

Whatever their reasons, about 5,000 people came for Ryan's "megabar" Sunday. The restaurant's 400 seats stayed filled from about 10:30 a.m. until mid-afternoon, and 160 of the business' 165 employees worked Sunday.

General manager John Agnello was pleased by the crowd, but he wasn't surprised. He had three truckloads of fresh produce delivered at 6 a.m. on Mother's Day. He wouldn't elaborate on how much food the steakhouse went through.

"It's no secret that this is one of our biggest stores, but even one that seats only 200 is just like us today," Agnello said. "No matter where you are today, you're waiting in line."

The wait wasn't quite as long at the Wayside Smorgasbord in Jackson, owned by Julian and Michelle Chavez. He did the cooking, she did the seating, and nine other employees rushed to serve the 300 to 400 people who dined at Wayside Sunday.

Michelle Chavez said that, while Mother's Day was busy, the restaurant does just as well or better on other holidays. Wayside stays open when other eateries don't, attracting business on Christmas and Thanksgiving.

Ethnic restaurants did a healthy business on Mother's Day, too, a phenomenon some of the owners didn't experience in their home countries.

Sonny Lam, who owns the Asian restaurant Kowloon, said there is no Mother's Day in his native Vietnam. People there honor mothers and fathers during a New Year celebration.

But Lam and other Vietnamese immigrants who work at Kowloon appreciate the American observance.

"Mother's Day is the best day of the year for us," Lam said. "We have to get ready a day ahead and come in very early."