Shared Dining Seating: Why Nine in Ten of Gen Z Enjoy Them
Name: Shared tables.
Look: Long, uncomfortable and back in fashion.
The Return of Communal Eating? Not Again. The Only Acceptable Place for Refectory Tables is the Cafeteria
What kind of adult chooses to dine alongside strangers? Gen Z, apparently. According to data from the restaurant reservations company Resy, "90% of young adult patrons say they like 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 big thing during the second world war, actually – there were about 2,500 of them, backed 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 enjoyable! As Pablo Rivero notes: "Dinner becomes a collective event," and "You never know who you’ll be seated next to; that’s the fun of it!"
The “Fun” of Having Dinner Interrupted by A Loud Conversation About Their Therapy Says They’re “a Highly Sensitive Empath”
Or sitting beside a fitness enthusiast eating chicken to fuel his "workout routines"? Or a social media user filming you accidentally in their video as they massacre a salad? You have to remember: gen Z – the most digitally connected group, who grew up during COVID, and many of whom entered an almost exclusively digital workplace – love a structured communal activity. This same desire behind the rise of youth running groups, hiking outings and art nights: they’re craving offline social connection.
I Prefer Dining in One of Those One-Person Ramen Booths Found in Japan.
This may not appeal to you, but many youths feel isolated (47% of them, as per an Oxfam study released this summer). In a 2023 US report a third of males aged between 18 to 23 reported they hadn’t seen anyone outside their household in the previous seven days. Isn't it positive they’re going out and breaking bread with strangers?
Perhaps. Studies Indicate People Who Eat Socially Report Greater Happiness
Conversing with new people is good for us, too: it enhances our feeling of community. Additionally the Resy data highlights an additional benefit: 14% of survey respondents said they’d landed a date at a communal dining experience. Since young people are leaving dating apps, this offers a chance for a unplanned "meet-cute".
That Joke Annoys Me Nearly as Much as I Dislike Shared Seating.
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."
