🔗 Share this article

Name: Shared seating arrangements.

Look: Lengthy, uncomfortable and making a comeback.

The Return of Communal Eating? Not Again. The Only Acceptable Place for Long Benches is the Cafeteria

What kind of adult chooses to dine alongside strangers? The younger generation, it seems. Research indicates from the dining booking company Resy, "90% of young adult patrons say they like shared seating, versus just six in ten of boomers".

A Sign of the Times. Before You Start Harrumphing Regarding Younger People

Group dining in nationalistic eateries was a major trend during the WWII, in fact – there were about two thousand five hundred of them, backed by Winston Churchill.

It Was Logical When Food Was Scarce, But Why Do It Now?

It’s an alien concept for you, admittedly, but communal tables can be enjoyable! As the Resy CEO notes: "Dinner becomes a collective event," and "The excitement lies in not knowing your neighbor!"

The Enjoyment From Having Dinner Interrupted by A Loud Conversation That Their Therapist Says They’re “a Highly Sensitive Empath”

Or being squeezed next to a Hyrox bore chomping chicken breasts to fuel his "farmer’s carries"? Or a social media user capturing you in the background in their video as they massacre a salad? You have to remember: gen Z – the most online generation, who grew up during COVID, and many of whom started careers remotely – love a structured communal activity. It’s the same impulse driving the popularity of youth running groups, group hikes and art nights: they’re craving offline social connection.

I Prefer Dining in a Solo Ramen Stall Found in Japan.

You might not fancy it, but many youths feel isolated (47% of them, as per an Oxfam survey released this summer). A recent American study 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 positive they’re going out and breaking bread with strangers?

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

Conversing with new people is beneficial, too: it gives us a greater sense of belonging. Additionally the Resy data points out another advantage: 14% of survey respondents said they’d landed a date at a communal dining experience. Since young people are leaving dating apps, this gives them a shot at a spontaneous "meat-cute".

That Joke Annoys Me 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."

Inappropriate remark: "It’s all fun and games until someone drops a katsu prawn on your Y2K baggy jeans."