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Term: Shared seating arrangements.

Appearance: Lengthy, uncomfortable and making a comeback.

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? The younger generation, apparently. Research indicates from the dining booking company Resy, "Nine out of ten of gen Z diners say they enjoy shared seating, compared with just 60% of boomers".

I’ve Never Felt More Out of Touch. Before You Start Harrumphing Regarding Younger People

Communal eating in nationalistic eateries was a major trend during the second world war, actually – there were about 2,500 of them, backed by Winston Churchill.

I Suppose It Made Sense During Times of Rationing, But Why Do It Now?

It’s an alien concept for you, admittedly, but shared dining can be fun! As Pablo Rivero notes: "Dinner becomes a collective event," and "The excitement lies in not knowing your neighbor!"

The “Fun” of An Interrupted Meal by Someone Explaining Loudly That Their Therapist Says They’re “a Highly Sensitive Empath”

Or sitting beside a Hyrox bore eating chicken to fuel his "farmer’s carries"? Or a social media user capturing you in the background of their reel as they massacre 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 behind the rise of young people’s running clubs, group hikes and art nights: they’re craving offline social connection.

I’d Rather Eat in a Solo Ramen Stall Found in Japan.

You might not fancy it, but many youths feel isolated (47% of them, according to an Oxfam study released this summer). In a 2023 US report , one-third of men aged between 18 to 23 reported they had no contact outside their household in the previous seven days. Isn’t it a good thing they’re going out and breaking bread with strangers?

I Suppose. Studies Indicate Those Dining in Groups More Often Feel Happier

Talking to strangers is good for us, too: it gives us a greater sense of belonging. Additionally the Resy survey 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 gives them a shot at a spontaneous "meet-cute".

I Hate That Pun Almost as Much as I Hate Communal Tables.

Mission accomplished.

Appropriate comment: "Gen Z think communal dining ate and left no crumbs."

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