Shared Dining Seating: The Reason Nine in Ten of Gen Z Like Them
Term: Communal seating arrangements.
Look: Long, awkward and making a comeback.
Communal Dining is Back? Oh no. The Sole Appropriate Location for Long Benches is the Cafeteria
Who would voluntarily eat with strangers as an adult with free will? Gen Z, apparently. According to data from the restaurant reservations company Resy, "Nine out of ten of young adult patrons say they like shared seating, compared with just 60% of older generations".
I’ve Never Felt More Out of Touch. Before You Start Harrumphing Regarding Younger People
Communal eating in patriotic “British Restaurants” was a major trend during the second world war, actually – there were about two thousand five hundred of them, backed by Winston Churchill.
I Suppose It Made Sense When Food Was Scarce, But Why Do It Now?
It’s an alien concept for you, I know, but communal tables can be enjoyable! 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 Having Dinner Interrupted by Someone Explaining Loudly That Their Therapist Says They’re “a Highly Sensitive Empath”
Or sitting beside a Hyrox bore chomping chicken breasts to fuel his "workout routines"? Or a nano-influencer capturing you in the background of their reel while eating a salad? You have to remember: young adults – the most online generation, who came of age during the pandemic, and many of whom started careers remotely – 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 a Solo Ramen Stall They Have in Tokyo.
You might not fancy it, but lots of young people are lonely (47% of them, as per an Oxfam survey 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 previous seven days. Isn’t it a good thing they’re getting out and sharing meals with new people?
Perhaps. Studies Indicate People Who Eat Socially More Often Feel Happier
Talking to strangers is beneficial, too: it gives us a greater sense of belonging. Plus the Resy survey points out another advantage: 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 offers a chance for a unplanned "meet-cute".
I Hate That Pun Almost as Much as I Dislike Shared Seating.
Mission accomplished.
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."
