Shared Restaurant Seating: Why 90% of Gen Z Like Them
Term: Communal tables.
Appearance: Long, uncomfortable and back in fashion.
The Return of Communal Eating? Oh no. The Sole Appropriate Location for Long Benches is the Cafeteria
What kind of adult chooses to dine alongside strangers? Gen Z, it seems. According to data from the restaurant reservations company Resy, "Nine out of ten of young adult patrons say they enjoy communal tables, versus just six in ten of boomers".
A Sign of the Times. Before You Start Harrumphing Regarding Younger People
Group dining in patriotic “British Restaurants” was a big thing during the second world war, actually – there were about two thousand five hundred 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 shared dining can be fun! As Pablo Rivero notes: "Dinner becomes a collective event," and "The excitement lies in not knowing your neighbor!"
The “Fun” of Having Dinner Interrupted by A Loud Conversation About Their Therapy Revealing They Are an Empath
Or being squeezed next to a Hyrox bore eating chicken to fuel his "farmer’s carries"? 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 grew up during COVID, and many of whom started careers remotely – enjoy organized group events. It’s the same impulse behind the rise of youth running groups, hiking outings and art nights: they’re craving offline social connection.
I Prefer Dining in One of Those One-Person Ramen Booths They Have in Tokyo.
You might not fancy it, but many youths feel isolated (Nearly half of them, according to an Oxfam survey published in June). In a 2023 US report , one-third of men aged between 18 to 23 reported they hadn’t seen anyone outside their household in the past week. Isn’t it a good thing they’re going out and sharing meals with new people?
I Suppose. Studies Indicate People Who Eat Socially More Often Feel Happier
Talking to strangers is beneficial, too: it gives us a greater sense of belonging. Plus the Resy data points out another advantage: 14% of survey respondents said they’d landed a date at a shared meal event. Since young people are leaving dating apps, this offers a chance for a unplanned "meet-cute".
I Hate That Pun Nearly as Much as I Hate Communal Tables.
My work here is done.
Appropriate comment: "Young adults believe shared meals are a total success."
Don’t say: "It’s all fun and games until someone drops a katsu prawn on your Y2K baggy jeans."
