Shared Dining Seating: The Reason 90% of Gen Z Like Them
Name: Shared tables.
Appearance: Long, uncomfortable and making a comeback.
Communal Dining is Back? Not Again. The Sole Appropriate Location for Refectory Tables is the Cafeteria
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, "90% of young adult patrons say they like shared seating, compared with just 60% of boomers".
A Sign of the Times. Before Complaining About the Youth of Today
Communal eating in patriotic “British Restaurants” was a major trend during the WWII, actually – there were about two thousand five hundred of them, supported by Winston Churchill.
I Suppose It Made Sense When Food Was Scarce, What's the Appeal Today?
It’s an alien concept for 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 Someone Explaining Loudly That Their Therapist Revealing They Are an Empath
Or sitting beside a Hyrox bore eating chicken to fuel his "workout routines"? Or a social media user capturing you in the background in their video while eating a salad? Consider this: gen Z – the most digitally connected group, who came of age during the pandemic, and many of whom entered an almost exclusively digital workplace – love a structured communal activity. This same desire behind the rise of young people’s running clubs, group hikes and crafting nights: they’re craving offline social connection.
I’d Rather Eat in a Solo Ramen Stall Found in Japan.
You might not fancy it, but many youths feel isolated (47% of them, according to 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 previous seven days. Isn't it positive they’re getting out and sharing meals with new people?
I Suppose. Research Shows People Who Eat Socially More Often Feel Happier
Talking to strangers is beneficial, too: it gives us a greater sense of belonging. Plus the Resy data points out another advantage: 14% of survey respondents said they’d landed a date at a shared meal event. Since young people are leaving dating apps, this offers a chance for a spontaneous "meet-cute".
I Hate That Pun Almost as Much as I Dislike Shared Seating.
My work here is done.
Appropriate comment: "Young adults believe shared meals are a total success."
Inappropriate remark: "Things are fine until food spills on your vintage clothes."
