🔗 Share this article

Term: Shared seating arrangements.

Appearance: Long, awkward and making a comeback.

The Return of Communal Eating? Not Again. The Sole Appropriate Location for Refectory Tables is the School Canteen

What kind of adult chooses to dine alongside strangers? Gen Z, apparently. According to data from the restaurant reservations company Resy, "90% of gen Z diners say they like shared seating, compared with just 60% of older generations".

I’ve Never Felt More Out of Touch. Before Complaining Regarding Younger People

Group dining in nationalistic eateries was a big thing during the second world war, actually – there were about 2,500 of them, supported by Winston Churchill.

It Was Logical During Times of Rationing, What's the Appeal Today?

It’s an alien concept for you, I know, 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 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 nano-influencer filming you accidentally of their reel while eating a salad? Consider this: gen Z – the most digitally connected group, who grew up during COVID, and many of whom started careers remotely – love a structured communal activity. It’s the same impulse behind the rise of youth running groups, hiking outings and art nights: they’re craving offline social connection.

I’d Rather Eat 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, as per an Oxfam study published in June). In a 2023 US report , one-third of men 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 sharing meals with new people?

I Suppose. Research Shows Those Dining in Groups Report Greater Happiness

Talking to strangers is beneficial, too: it enhances our feeling of community. Additionally the Resy survey points out another advantage: 14% of 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 "meet-cute".

I Hate That Pun Almost as Much as I Dislike Shared Seating.

My work here is done.

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."