Shared Restaurant Seating: Why Nine in Ten of Gen Z Like This Trend
Name: Shared tables.
Look: Lengthy, awkward and making a comeback.
Communal Dining is Back? Oh no. 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, apparently. Research indicates from the restaurant reservations company Resy, "Nine out of ten of young adult patrons say they like shared seating, versus just 60% of boomers".
A Sign of the Times. Before You Start Harrumphing Regarding Younger People
Communal eating in nationalistic eateries was a big thing during the second world war, actually – there were about two thousand five hundred of them, supported by Winston Churchill.
I Suppose It Made Sense During Times of Rationing, But Why Do It Now?
This might seem strange to you, admittedly, but shared dining can be fun! As the Resy CEO notes: "They naturally turn dinner into a shared experience," and "The excitement lies in not knowing your neighbor!"
The Enjoyment From An Interrupted Meal by A Loud Conversation That Their Therapist 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 while eating a salad? Consider this: gen Z – 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 driving the popularity of young people’s running clubs, group hikes and crafting nights: they’re seeking real-world interactions.
I’d Rather Eat in One of Those One-Person Ramen Booths They Have in Tokyo.
This may not appeal to you, but lots of young people are lonely (47% of them, according to an Oxfam survey released this summer). 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 breaking bread with strangers?
Perhaps. Research Shows People Who Eat Socially More Often Feel Happier
Conversing with new people is good for us, too: it enhances our feeling of community. Additionally the Resy data points out another advantage: 14% of survey respondents said they’d landed a date at a shared meal event. Given gen Z have gone off the apps, this offers a chance for a spontaneous "meet-cute".
I Hate That Pun Almost as Much as I Hate Communal Tables.
Mission accomplished.
Appropriate comment: "Gen Z think communal dining ate and left no crumbs."
Don’t say: "Things are fine until food spills on your vintage clothes."
