Shared Restaurant Seating: The Reason 90% of Gen Z Like Them
Term: Communal tables.
Appearance: Long, uncomfortable and back in fashion.
The Return of Communal Eating? Not Again. The Only Acceptable Place for Refectory Tables is the Cafeteria
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, "Nine out of ten of young adult patrons say they like communal tables, compared with just six in ten of older generations".
A Sign of the Times. Before You Start Harrumphing Regarding Younger People
Communal eating in patriotic “British Restaurants” was a big thing during the WWII, 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 communal tables 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 “Fun” of An Interrupted Meal by Someone Explaining Loudly That Their Therapist Revealing They Are an Empath
Or sitting beside a fitness enthusiast chomping chicken breasts to fuel his "farmer’s carries"? Or a social media user capturing you in the background of their reel as they massacre a salad? You have to remember: gen Z – the most digitally connected group, who came of age during the pandemic, and many of whom entered an almost exclusively digital workplace – enjoy organized group events. This same desire behind the rise of young people’s running clubs, hiking outings and crafting nights: they’re craving offline social connection.
I’d Rather Eat in a Solo Ramen Stall They Have in Tokyo.
This may not appeal to you, but lots of young people are lonely (Nearly half of them, according to an Oxfam study published in June). In a 2023 US report a third of males aged between 18 and 23 reported they had no contact outside their household in the previous seven days. 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 good for us, too: it gives us a greater sense of belonging. Plus the Resy survey points out another advantage: 14% of survey respondents said they’d found a romantic partner at a shared meal event. Given gen Z have gone off the 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: "Young adults believe shared meals are a total success."
Inappropriate remark: "It’s all fun and games until someone drops a katsu prawn on your Y2K baggy jeans."
