🔗 Share this article

Term: Shared tables.

Appearance: Lengthy, awkward and back in fashion.

Communal Dining is Back? Not Again. The Only Acceptable Place for Long Benches is the School Canteen

Who would voluntarily eat with strangers as an adult with free will? Gen Z, it seems. Research indicates from the restaurant reservations company Resy, "Nine out of ten of gen Z diners say they like communal tables, versus just 60% of boomers".

A Sign of the Times. Before Complaining About the Youth of Today

Group dining in patriotic “British Restaurants” was a big thing during the second world war, actually – there were about 2,500 of them, backed by Winston Churchill.

I Suppose It Made Sense During Times of Rationing, But Why Do It Now?

It’s an alien concept for you, I know, but communal tables can be enjoyable! As the Resy CEO notes: "Dinner becomes a collective event," and "You never know who you’ll be seated next to; that’s the fun of it!"

The Enjoyment From Having Dinner Interrupted by Someone Explaining Loudly About Their Therapy Says They’re “a Highly Sensitive Empath”

Or sitting beside a fitness enthusiast eating chicken to fuel his "workout routines"? Or a social media user filming you accidentally of their reel as they massacre a salad? Consider this: young adults – the most online generation, who came of age during the pandemic, and many of whom started careers remotely – enjoy organized group events. This same desire driving the popularity of young people’s running clubs, hiking outings and art nights: they’re craving offline social connection.

I’d Rather Eat in a Solo Ramen Stall They Have in Tokyo.

You might not fancy it, but lots of young people are lonely (Nearly half of them, according to an Oxfam study released this summer). A recent American study , one-third of men aged between 18 and 23 reported they hadn’t seen anyone outside their household in the previous seven days. Isn’t it a good thing they’re going out and sharing meals with new people?

Perhaps. Research Shows Those Dining in Groups Report Greater Happiness

Conversing with new people is beneficial, too: it enhances our feeling of community. Plus the Resy survey points out another advantage: one in seven survey respondents said they’d found a romantic partner at a communal dining experience. Given gen Z have gone off the apps, this gives them a shot at a unplanned "meat-cute".

That Joke Annoys Me Nearly as Much as I Dislike Shared Seating.

Mission accomplished.

Appropriate comment: "Young adults believe shared meals are a total success."

Inappropriate remark: "Things are fine until food spills on your vintage clothes."