Shared Restaurant Tables: Why 90% of Gen Z Like Them
Name: Shared seating arrangements.
Look: Lengthy, awkward and back in fashion.
Communal Dining is Back? Oh no. The Sole Appropriate Location for Long Benches is the School Canteen
Who would voluntarily eat with strangers as an adult with free will? The younger generation, apparently. According to data from the restaurant reservations company Resy, "90% of young adult patrons say they like shared seating, compared with just 60% of boomers".
I’ve Never Felt More Out of Touch. Before Complaining About the Youth of Today
Group dining in nationalistic eateries 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, What's the Appeal Today?
It’s an alien concept for you, admittedly, but shared dining can be enjoyable! As Pablo Rivero notes: "They naturally turn dinner into a shared experience," and "You never know who you’ll be seated next to; that’s the fun of it!"
The Enjoyment From Having Dinner Interrupted by A Loud Conversation About Their Therapy Says They’re “a Highly Sensitive Empath”
Or being squeezed next to a fitness enthusiast eating chicken to fuel his "workout routines"? Or a social media user capturing you in the background in their video as they massacre a salad? Consider this: young adults – the most digitally connected group, who came of age during the pandemic, and many of whom started careers remotely – enjoy organized group events. It’s the same impulse driving the popularity of youth running groups, group hikes and crafting nights: they’re craving offline social connection.
I Prefer Dining in One of Those One-Person Ramen Booths They Have in Tokyo.
This may not appeal to you, but many youths feel isolated (47% of them, as per an Oxfam survey released this summer). In a 2023 US report a third of males aged between 18 and 23 reported they had no contact outside their household in the past week. Isn't it positive they’re getting out and breaking bread with strangers?
Perhaps. Research Shows People Who Eat Socially Report Greater Happiness
Conversing with new people is good for us, too: it gives us a greater sense of belonging. Plus the Resy data points out another advantage: one in seven 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 "meat-cute".
I Hate That Pun Nearly as Much as I Hate Communal Tables.
Mission accomplished.
Do say: "Gen Z think communal dining ate and left no crumbs."
Inappropriate remark: "Things are fine until food spills on your vintage clothes."
