🔗 Share this article

Term: Shared seating arrangements.

Appearance: Long, uncomfortable and making a comeback.

The Return of Communal Eating? Not Again. The Only Acceptable Place for Refectory Tables 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 dining booking company Resy, "Nine out of ten of gen Z diners say they enjoy communal tables, versus just six in ten of older generations".

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

Communal eating in nationalistic eateries was a major trend during the second world war, in fact – there were about 2,500 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 shared dining can be fun! As the Resy CEO notes: "Dinner becomes a collective event," 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 Hyrox bore chomping chicken breasts to fuel his "workout routines"? 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 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, hiking outings and art nights: they’re seeking real-world interactions.

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 a third of males aged between 18 and 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 Those Dining in Groups More Often Feel Happier

Talking to strangers is good for us, too: it enhances our feeling of community. Additionally the Resy survey 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 gives them a shot at a unplanned "meat-cute".

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

Mission accomplished.

Do say: "Young adults believe shared meals are a total success."

Don’t say: "It’s all fun and games until someone drops a katsu prawn on your Y2K baggy jeans."