Shared Dining Tables: Why 90% of Generation Z Like Them

Name: Communal seating arrangements.

Look: Lengthy, uncomfortable and back in fashion.

The Return of Communal Eating? 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, it seems. According to data from the restaurant reservations company Resy, "90% of gen Z diners say they enjoy shared seating, compared with just six in ten of boomers".

I’ve Never Felt More Out of Touch. Before Complaining About the Youth of Today

Group dining in patriotic “British Restaurants” was a big thing during the WWII, actually – there were about two thousand five hundred 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, I know, but communal tables can be enjoyable! As the Resy CEO notes: "Dinner becomes a collective event," and "You never know who you’ll be seated next to; that’s the fun of it!"

The Enjoyment From An Interrupted Meal by Someone Explaining Loudly That Their Therapist Revealing They Are an Empath

Or being squeezed next to a fitness enthusiast eating chicken to fuel his "farmer’s carries"? Or a nano-influencer capturing you in the background of their reel while eating 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 – enjoy organized group events. This same desire driving the popularity of youth running groups, hiking outings and art nights: they’re craving offline social connection.

I Prefer Dining in a Solo Ramen Stall They Have in Tokyo.

You might not fancy it, but lots of young people are lonely (47% of them, as per an Oxfam survey published in June). A recent American study , one-third of men aged between 18 and 23 reported they had no contact outside their household in the previous seven days. Isn’t it a good thing they’re getting out and sharing meals with new people?

I Suppose. Studies Indicate Those Dining in Groups Report Greater Happiness

Talking to strangers is good for us, too: it gives us a greater sense of belonging. Additionally the Resy data highlights an additional benefit: one in seven survey respondents said they’d landed a date at a shared meal event. Given gen Z have gone off the apps, this gives them a shot at a unplanned "meet-cute".

That Joke Annoys Me Nearly as Much as I Hate Communal Tables.

Mission accomplished.

Do say: "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."