🔗 Share this article Communal Restaurant Seating: The Reason 90% of Gen Z Like Them Term: Communal seating arrangements. Appearance: Long, uncomfortable and making a comeback. Communal Dining is Back? Oh no. The Sole Appropriate Location for Refectory Tables is the School Canteen What kind of adult chooses to dine alongside strangers? The younger generation, apparently. According to data from the restaurant reservations company Resy, "Nine out of ten of gen Z diners say they enjoy shared seating, versus just 60% of older generations". I’ve Never Felt More Out of Touch. Before You Start Harrumphing Regarding Younger People Communal eating in nationalistic eateries was a big thing during the WWII, actually – there were about two thousand five hundred of them, supported by Winston Churchill. I Suppose It Made Sense During Times of Rationing, But Why Do It Now? This might seem strange to you, admittedly, but shared dining can be enjoyable! As the Resy CEO notes: "They naturally turn dinner into a shared experience," and "The excitement lies in not knowing your neighbor!" The Enjoyment From An Interrupted Meal by A Loud Conversation 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 nano-influencer filming you accidentally in their video while eating a salad? You have to remember: gen Z – the most digitally connected group, who grew up during COVID, and many of whom entered an almost exclusively digital workplace – love a structured communal activity. This same desire driving the popularity of young people’s running clubs, hiking outings and art nights: they’re craving offline social connection. 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 survey 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 past week. Isn't it positive they’re getting out and sharing meals with new people? I Suppose. Studies Indicate People Who Eat Socially Report Greater Happiness Talking to strangers is beneficial, too: it enhances our feeling of community. Additionally the Resy data highlights an additional benefit: 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 unplanned "meet-cute". That Joke Annoys Me Almost as Much as I Hate Communal Tables. 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."