Shared Restaurant Seating: The Reason Nine in Ten of Generation Z Like Them
Name: Shared seating arrangements.
Look: Long, awkward and making a comeback.
Communal Dining is Back? Oh no. The Sole Appropriate Location for Refectory Tables is the Cafeteria
Who would voluntarily eat with strangers as an adult with free will? Gen Z, it seems. Research indicates from the dining booking company Resy, "Nine out of ten of young adult patrons say they enjoy communal tables, versus just six in ten of boomers".
I’ve Never Felt More Out of Touch. Before Complaining Regarding Younger People
Group dining in patriotic “British Restaurants” was a big thing during the second world war, in fact – there were about 2,500 of them, backed 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 shared dining can be fun! As Pablo Rivero explains: "They naturally turn dinner into a shared experience," and "The excitement lies in not knowing your neighbor!"
The “Fun” of Having Dinner Interrupted by Someone Explaining Loudly That Their Therapist Says They’re “a Highly Sensitive Empath”
Or being squeezed next to a Hyrox bore eating chicken to fuel his "farmer’s carries"? Or a nano-influencer filming you accidentally in their video while eating a salad? Consider this: young adults – the most digitally connected group, who came of age during the pandemic, and many of whom entered an almost exclusively digital workplace – love a structured communal activity. It’s the same impulse driving the popularity of youth running groups, group hikes and art nights: they’re seeking real-world interactions.
I’d Rather Eat in One of Those One-Person Ramen Booths They Have in Tokyo.
You might not fancy it, but lots of young people are lonely (47% of them, as per an Oxfam survey published in June). A recent American study a third of males aged between 18 to 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 Those Dining in Groups More Often Feel Happier
Talking to strangers is beneficial, too: it enhances our feeling of community. Additionally the Resy survey points out another advantage: 14% of 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 "meet-cute".
That Joke Annoys Me Almost as Much as I Dislike Shared Seating.
My work here is done.
Do say: "Gen Z think communal dining ate and left no crumbs."
Inappropriate remark: "It’s all fun and games until someone drops a katsu prawn on your Y2K baggy jeans."
