Shared Restaurant Seating: Why 90% of Gen Z Like Them
Name: Shared tables.
Look: Long, awkward and back in fashion.
The Return of Communal Eating? 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, apparently. Research indicates from the dining booking company Resy, "90% of gen Z diners say they enjoy shared seating, versus just 60% of older generations".
A Sign of the Times. Before Complaining About the Youth of Today
Group dining in patriotic “British Restaurants” was a major trend during the WWII, in fact – there were about two thousand five hundred of them, supported by Winston Churchill.
It Was Logical During Times of Rationing, What's the Appeal Today?
This might seem strange to you, admittedly, but shared dining can be fun! As Pablo Rivero 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 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 "farmer’s carries"? Or a nano-influencer filming you accidentally of their reel as they massacre a salad? You have to remember: gen Z – the most digitally connected group, who grew up during COVID, and many of whom started careers remotely – love a structured communal activity. It’s the same impulse behind the rise of young people’s running clubs, group hikes and art nights: they’re seeking real-world interactions.
I’d Rather Eat in a Solo Ramen Stall They Have in Tokyo.
You might not fancy it, but lots of young people are lonely (47% of them, according to an Oxfam study released this summer). In a 2023 US report , one-third of men 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 breaking bread with strangers?
Perhaps. Research Shows People Who Eat Socially Report Greater Happiness
Talking to strangers is beneficial, too: it gives us a greater sense of belonging. Additionally the Resy data points out another advantage: one in seven survey respondents said they’d landed a date at a shared meal event. Given gen Z have gone off the apps, this gives them a shot at a unplanned "meat-cute".
That Joke Annoys Me Almost as Much as I Hate Communal Tables.
Mission accomplished.
Appropriate comment: "Young adults believe shared meals are a total success."
Don’t say: "Things are fine until food spills on your vintage clothes."
