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Name: Shared tables.

Look: Lengthy, awkward and back in fashion.

The Return of Communal Eating? Not Again. The Only Acceptable Place for Long Benches is the Cafeteria

What kind of adult chooses to dine alongside strangers? Gen Z, it seems. According to data from the dining booking company Resy, "90% of young adult patrons say they like shared seating, compared with just six in ten of older generations".

A Sign of the Times. Before Complaining Regarding Younger People

Communal eating in nationalistic eateries was a major trend during the WWII, in fact – there were about two thousand five hundred of them, supported by Winston Churchill.

I Suppose It Made Sense When Food Was Scarce, What's the Appeal Today?

It’s an alien concept for you, I know, but communal tables can be enjoyable! As Pablo Rivero explains: "Dinner becomes a collective event," and "You never know who you’ll be seated next to; that’s the fun of it!"

The Enjoyment From An Interrupted Meal 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 "farmer’s carries"? Or a social media user filming you accidentally in their video while eating a salad? You have to remember: gen Z – the most digitally connected group, who came of age during the pandemic, and many of whom started careers remotely – enjoy organized group events. It’s the same impulse behind the rise of young people’s running clubs, group hikes and crafting nights: they’re seeking real-world interactions.

I’d Rather Eat in One of Those One-Person Ramen Booths 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 and 23 reported they hadn’t seen anyone outside their household in the past week. Isn't it positive they’re getting out and sharing meals with new people?

I Suppose. Studies Indicate People Who Eat Socially More Often Feel Happier

Talking to strangers is beneficial, too: it enhances our feeling of community. Additionally the Resy survey highlights an additional benefit: 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".

I Hate That Pun Nearly as Much as I Dislike Shared Seating.

Mission accomplished.

Do say: "Gen Z think communal dining ate and left no crumbs."

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