Shared Restaurant Seating: The Reason Nine in Ten of Generation Z Like Them
Term: Shared tables.
Look: Lengthy, awkward and making a comeback.
Communal Dining is Back? Oh no. The Only Acceptable Place for Long Benches is the Cafeteria
Who would voluntarily eat with strangers as an adult with free will? Gen Z, apparently. Research indicates from the restaurant reservations company Resy, "90% of gen Z diners say they enjoy shared seating, compared with just 60% of older generations".
I’ve Never Felt More Out of Touch. Before Complaining About the Youth of Today
Group dining in nationalistic eateries was a big thing during the WWII, actually – there were about 2,500 of them, backed by Winston Churchill.
It Was Logical During Times of Rationing, What's the Appeal Today?
It’s an alien concept for 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 Says They’re “a Highly Sensitive Empath”
Or being squeezed next to a fitness enthusiast chomping chicken breasts to fuel his "workout routines"? Or a social media user filming you accidentally in their video while eating a salad? You have to remember: gen Z – the most online generation, who grew up during COVID, and many of whom entered an almost exclusively digital workplace – enjoy organized group events. It’s the same impulse behind the rise of youth running groups, hiking outings and crafting nights: they’re craving offline social connection.
I Prefer Dining in One of Those One-Person Ramen Booths Found in Japan.
You might not fancy it, but many youths feel isolated (47% of them, as per an Oxfam survey 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 getting out and sharing meals with new people?
I Suppose. Studies Indicate People Who Eat Socially Report Greater Happiness
Talking to strangers is good for us, too: it gives us a greater sense of belonging. Plus the Resy data 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 "meet-cute".
I Hate That Pun Almost as Much as I Hate Communal Tables.
Mission accomplished.
Appropriate comment: "Gen Z think communal dining ate and left no crumbs."
Don’t say: "It’s all fun and games until someone drops a katsu prawn on your Y2K baggy jeans."
