🔗 Share this article Communal Dining Seating: Why Nine in Ten of Gen Z Enjoy Them Name: Shared tables. Appearance: Lengthy, uncomfortable and making a comeback. Communal Dining is Back? Not Again. The Sole Appropriate Location for Refectory Tables is the School Canteen Who would voluntarily eat with strangers as an adult with free will? The younger generation, it seems. According to data from the dining booking company Resy, "Nine out of ten of gen Z diners say they like communal tables, versus just 60% of older generations". I’ve Never Felt More Out of Touch. Before You Start Harrumphing About the Youth of Today Communal eating in nationalistic eateries was a big thing during the WWII, in fact – there were about 2,500 of them, supported by Winston Churchill. I Suppose It Made Sense During Times of Rationing, What's the Appeal Today? It’s an alien concept for you, I know, but shared dining can be fun! As the Resy CEO 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 A Loud Conversation About Their Therapy Revealing They Are an Empath Or sitting beside a Hyrox bore eating chicken to fuel his "farmer’s carries"? Or a nano-influencer filming you accidentally in their video as they massacre a salad? You have to remember: young adults – 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 crafting nights: they’re craving offline social connection. I Prefer Dining in a Solo Ramen Stall Found in Japan. You might not fancy it, but many youths feel isolated (47% of them, as per 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 previous seven days. Isn't it positive they’re getting out and sharing meals with new people? I Suppose. Studies Indicate Those Dining in Groups Report Greater Happiness Talking to strangers is good for us, too: it gives us a greater sense of belonging. Additionally the Resy survey 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 spontaneous "meet-cute". That Joke Annoys Me Nearly as Much as I Dislike Shared Seating. My work here is done. Do say: "Gen Z think communal dining ate and left no crumbs." Don’t say: "Things are fine until food spills on your vintage clothes."