Shared Restaurant Tables: Why 90% of Generation Z Like Them
Term: Communal seating arrangements.
Appearance: Lengthy, awkward and back in fashion.
Communal Dining is Back? Not Again. The Sole Appropriate Location for Long Benches is the School Canteen
Who would voluntarily eat with strangers as an adult with free will? The younger generation, it seems. According to data from the restaurant reservations company Resy, "90% of gen Z diners say they enjoy communal tables, versus just six in ten of older generations".
A Sign of the Times. Before You Start Harrumphing About the Youth of Today
Group dining in nationalistic eateries was a major trend during the WWII, actually – there were about 2,500 of them, supported by Winston Churchill.
It Was Logical When Food Was Scarce, What's the Appeal Today?
It’s an alien concept for you, I know, but communal tables can be fun! 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 “Fun” of Having Dinner Interrupted by A Loud Conversation That Their Therapist Says They’re “a Highly Sensitive Empath”
Or sitting beside a fitness enthusiast eating chicken to fuel his "workout routines"? Or a nano-influencer filming you accidentally of their reel as they massacre a salad? Consider this: gen Z – the most online generation, who came of age during the pandemic, and many of whom started careers remotely – enjoy organized group events. This same desire driving the popularity 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 Found in Japan.
This may not appeal to you, but many youths feel isolated (Nearly half 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 hadn’t seen anyone outside their household in the past week. Isn’t it a good thing they’re going out and sharing meals with new people?
Perhaps. Research Shows Those Dining in Groups Report Greater Happiness
Conversing with new people is beneficial, too: it enhances our feeling of community. Additionally the Resy data highlights an additional benefit: 14% of survey respondents said they’d landed a date at a shared meal event. Given gen Z have gone off the apps, this offers a chance for a unplanned "meet-cute".
That Joke Annoys Me Almost 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: "It’s all fun and games until someone drops a katsu prawn on your Y2K baggy jeans."
