Shared Restaurant Tables: The Reason 90% of Generation Z Like This Trend

Name: Shared tables.

Look: Long, uncomfortable and making a comeback.

The Return of Communal Eating? Oh no. The Only Acceptable Place for Refectory Tables is the School Canteen

Who would voluntarily eat with strangers as an adult with free will? Gen Z, it seems. According to data from the restaurant reservations company Resy, "90% of young adult patrons say they like communal tables, compared with just 60% of older generations".

I’ve Never Felt More Out of Touch. Before You Start Harrumphing About the Youth of Today

Group dining in nationalistic eateries was a big thing during the second world war, in fact – 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 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 Enjoyment From Having Dinner Interrupted by A Loud Conversation About Their Therapy Revealing They Are an Empath

Or sitting beside a Hyrox bore eating chicken to fuel his "workout routines"? Or a nano-influencer filming you accidentally in their video while eating a salad? Consider this: young adults – the most online generation, who grew up during COVID, and many of whom started careers remotely – love a structured communal activity. This same desire driving the popularity of youth running groups, hiking outings and crafting nights: they’re seeking real-world interactions.

I’d Rather Eat in One of Those One-Person Ramen Booths They Have in Tokyo.

This may not appeal to you, but lots of young people are lonely (Nearly half of them, according to an Oxfam survey released this summer). In a 2023 US report , one-third of men aged between 18 to 23 reported they hadn’t seen anyone outside their household in the past week. Isn’t it a good thing they’re going out and sharing meals with new people?

I Suppose. Research Shows Those Dining in Groups More Often Feel Happier

Conversing with new people is good for us, too: it enhances our feeling of community. Additionally the Resy data points out another advantage: one in seven survey respondents said they’d landed a date at a communal dining experience. Since young people are leaving dating apps, this gives them a shot at a unplanned "meat-cute".

That Joke Annoys Me Almost as Much as I Dislike Shared Seating.

Mission accomplished.

Appropriate comment: "Gen Z think communal dining ate and left no crumbs."

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