Shared Restaurant Seating: Why 90% of Gen Z Enjoy Them
Name: Shared tables.
Appearance: Long, awkward and back in fashion.
Communal Dining is Back? Oh no. The Only Acceptable Place for Long Benches is the Cafeteria
What kind of adult chooses to dine alongside strangers? Gen Z, apparently. According to data from the restaurant reservations company Resy, "90% of young adult patrons say they enjoy communal tables, versus just six in ten of boomers".
A Sign of the Times. Before You Start Harrumphing About the Youth of Today
Group dining in patriotic “British Restaurants” was a big thing during the second world war, actually – there were about 2,500 of them, backed by Winston Churchill.
It Was Logical When Food Was Scarce, But Why Do It Now?
It’s an alien concept for you, admittedly, but shared dining can be fun! As the Resy CEO notes: "They naturally turn dinner into a shared experience," and "The excitement lies in not knowing your neighbor!"
The Enjoyment From An Interrupted Meal by Someone Explaining Loudly About Their Therapy Says They’re “a Highly Sensitive Empath”
Or sitting beside a fitness enthusiast eating chicken to fuel his "workout routines"? Or a social media user filming you accidentally of their reel while eating a salad? Consider this: gen Z – the most digitally connected group, who grew up during COVID, and many of whom entered an almost exclusively digital workplace – enjoy organized group events. This same desire driving the popularity of youth running groups, group hikes and crafting nights: they’re seeking real-world interactions.
I’d Rather Eat in a Solo Ramen Stall Found in Japan.
This may not appeal to you, but lots of young people are lonely (47% of them, according to an Oxfam survey published in June). A recent American study a third of males aged between 18 and 23 reported they had no contact outside their household in the previous seven days. Isn't it positive they’re going out and sharing meals with new people?
I Suppose. Studies Indicate Those Dining in Groups Report Greater Happiness
Talking to strangers is beneficial, too: it gives us a greater sense of belonging. Additionally the Resy survey highlights an additional benefit: 14% of survey respondents said they’d found a romantic partner at a communal dining experience. Given gen Z have gone off the apps, this gives them a shot at a spontaneous "meat-cute".
That Joke Annoys Me Almost as Much as I Hate Communal Tables.
Mission accomplished.
Do say: "Gen Z think communal dining ate and left no crumbs."
Don’t say: "Things are fine until food spills on your vintage clothes."