Shared Restaurant Seating: Why 90% of Gen Z Like Them
Name: Shared tables.
Look: Long, awkward and back in fashion.
Communal Dining is Back? Oh no. The Only Acceptable Place for Refectory Tables is the School Canteen
What kind of adult chooses to dine alongside strangers? The younger generation, it seems. Research indicates from the restaurant reservations 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 Complaining Regarding Younger People
Communal eating in nationalistic eateries was a major trend during the WWII, actually – there were about 2,500 of them, supported by Winston Churchill.
I Suppose It Made Sense When Food Was Scarce, 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 Having Dinner Interrupted 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 filming you accidentally of their reel as they massacre a salad? Consider this: young adults – the most online generation, who grew up during COVID, and many of whom entered an almost exclusively digital workplace – love a structured communal activity. It’s the same impulse driving the popularity of young people’s running clubs, hiking outings and crafting nights: they’re seeking real-world interactions.
I Prefer Dining in a Solo Ramen Stall Found in Japan.
This may not appeal to you, but many youths feel isolated (Nearly half of them, according to an Oxfam survey released this summer). A recent American study , one-third of men aged between 18 and 23 reported they hadn’t seen anyone outside their household in the previous seven days. Isn’t it a good thing they’re getting out and sharing meals with new people?
Perhaps. Studies Indicate People Who Eat Socially Report Greater Happiness
Talking to strangers is beneficial, too: it gives us a greater sense of belonging. Plus the Resy survey highlights an additional benefit: 14% of survey respondents said they’d found a romantic partner at a shared meal event. Given gen Z have gone off the apps, this gives them a shot at a spontaneous "meet-cute".
I Hate That Pun Almost as Much as I Dislike Shared Seating.
My work here is done.
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."
