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Name: Shared tables.

Appearance: Long, awkward and back in fashion.

Communal Dining is Back? Not Again. The Sole Appropriate Location for Refectory Tables is the School Canteen

What kind of adult chooses to dine alongside strangers? Gen Z, apparently. Research indicates from the restaurant reservations company Resy, "90% of gen Z diners say they enjoy shared seating, versus just six in ten of boomers".

A Sign of the Times. Before You Start Harrumphing Regarding Younger People

Communal eating in patriotic “British Restaurants” was a big thing during the second world war, in fact – 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?

This might seem strange to you, I know, but communal tables can be enjoyable! As the Resy CEO explains: "They naturally turn dinner into a shared experience," and "You never know who you’ll be seated next to; that’s the fun of it!"

The “Fun” of Having Dinner Interrupted by A Loud Conversation That Their Therapist Says They’re “a Highly Sensitive Empath”

Or being squeezed next to a Hyrox bore 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 driving the popularity of youth running groups, group hikes and crafting nights: they’re craving offline social connection.

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

This may not appeal to you, but lots of young people are lonely (47% of them, as per an Oxfam survey released this summer). In a 2023 US report , one-third of men 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?

I Suppose. Research Shows Those Dining in Groups More Often Feel Happier

Conversing with new people is good for us, too: it gives us a greater sense of belonging. Additionally the Resy survey highlights an additional benefit: one in seven survey respondents said they’d landed a date at a communal dining experience. Since young people are leaving dating apps, this gives them a shot at a unplanned "meat-cute".

I Hate That Pun Nearly as Much as I Dislike Shared Seating.

My work here is done.

Do say: "Young adults believe shared meals are a total success."

Inappropriate remark: "Things are fine until food spills on your vintage clothes."