Shared Restaurant Seating: Why 90% of Generation Z Like Them
Name: Communal seating arrangements.
Appearance: Lengthy, awkward and making a comeback.
Communal Dining is Back? Not Again. The Sole Appropriate Location for Refectory Tables is the Cafeteria
What kind of adult chooses to dine alongside strangers? Gen Z, it seems. Research indicates from the restaurant reservations company Resy, "90% of young adult patrons say they enjoy communal tables, compared with just six in ten of older generations".
A Sign of the Times. Before You Start Harrumphing Regarding Younger People
Communal eating in patriotic “British Restaurants” was a major trend during the WWII, actually – there were about 2,500 of them, backed by Winston Churchill.
I Suppose It Made Sense During Times of Rationing, What's the Appeal Today?
It’s an alien concept for you, admittedly, but communal tables can be enjoyable! As the Resy CEO explains: "Dinner becomes a collective event," and "The excitement lies in not knowing your neighbor!"
The “Fun” of An Interrupted Meal by A Loud Conversation About Their Therapy Revealing They Are an Empath
Or sitting beside a fitness enthusiast chomping chicken breasts to fuel his "farmer’s carries"? Or a social media user filming you accidentally of their reel 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 started careers remotely – love a structured communal activity. It’s the same impulse behind the rise of young people’s running clubs, group hikes and art nights: they’re seeking real-world interactions.
I Prefer Dining in One of Those One-Person Ramen Booths They Have in Tokyo.
This may not appeal to you, but lots of young people are lonely (47% of them, as per an Oxfam study published in June). 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 a good thing they’re going out and sharing meals with new people?
Perhaps. Studies Indicate Those Dining in Groups Report Greater Happiness
Talking to strangers is beneficial, too: it enhances our feeling of community. Plus the Resy data points out another advantage: one in seven survey respondents said they’d landed a date at a communal dining experience. Given gen Z have gone off the apps, this offers a chance for a unplanned "meat-cute".
That Joke Annoys Me Almost as Much as I Dislike Shared Seating.
My work here is done.
Appropriate comment: "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."
