🔗 Share this article Communal Restaurant Seating: Why Nine in Ten of Generation Z Like Them Term: Communal tables. Appearance: Lengthy, uncomfortable and back in fashion. The Return of Communal Eating? Not Again. The Sole Appropriate Location for Refectory Tables is the Cafeteria Who would voluntarily eat with strangers as an adult with free will? Gen Z, it seems. Research indicates from the dining booking company Resy, "Nine out of ten of young adult patrons say they enjoy shared seating, versus just 60% of older generations". A Sign of the Times. Before Complaining Regarding Younger People Group dining in nationalistic eateries was a big thing during the second world war, actually – there were about 2,500 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 fun! As Pablo Rivero notes: "Dinner becomes a collective event," and "The excitement lies in not knowing your neighbor!" The Enjoyment From Having Dinner Interrupted by Someone Explaining Loudly About Their Therapy Revealing They Are an Empath Or being squeezed next to a Hyrox bore chomping chicken breasts to fuel his "farmer’s carries"? Or a social media user filming you accidentally in their video as they massacre a salad? Consider this: gen Z – the most online generation, who came of age during the pandemic, and many of whom entered an almost exclusively digital workplace – love a structured communal activity. It’s the same impulse driving the popularity of youth running groups, hiking outings and art nights: they’re craving offline social connection. I’d Rather Eat in One of Those One-Person Ramen Booths They Have in Tokyo. This may not appeal to you, but many youths feel isolated (47% of them, as per an Oxfam study released this summer). A recent American study , one-third of men aged between 18 and 23 reported they hadn’t seen anyone outside their household in the past week. Isn't it positive they’re going out and sharing meals with new people? Perhaps. Studies Indicate People Who Eat Socially More Often Feel Happier Talking to strangers is good for us, too: it enhances our feeling of community. Additionally the Resy survey highlights an additional benefit: 14% of survey respondents said they’d found a romantic partner at a shared meal event. Since young people are leaving dating apps, this gives them a shot at a spontaneous "meet-cute". That Joke Annoys Me Almost as Much as I Dislike Shared Seating. Mission accomplished. Appropriate comment: "Gen Z think communal dining ate and left no crumbs." Inappropriate remark: "It’s all fun and games until someone drops a katsu prawn on your Y2K baggy jeans."