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Term: Shared seating arrangements.

Appearance: Long, awkward and back in fashion.

The Return of Communal Eating? Not Again. The Sole Appropriate Location for Long Benches is the School Canteen

What kind of adult chooses to dine alongside strangers? The younger generation, apparently. Research indicates from the dining booking company Resy, "Nine out of ten of young adult patrons say they like communal tables, versus just 60% of boomers".

A Sign of the Times. Before Complaining Regarding Younger People

Communal eating in nationalistic eateries was a major trend during the second world war, actually – there were about 2,500 of them, supported by Winston Churchill.

I Suppose It Made Sense When Food Was Scarce, But Why Do It Now?

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 "You never know who you’ll be seated next to; that’s the fun of it!"

The “Fun” of Having Dinner Interrupted by Someone Explaining Loudly That Their Therapist Revealing They Are an Empath

Or being squeezed next to a fitness enthusiast chomping chicken breasts to fuel his "farmer’s carries"? Or a nano-influencer capturing you in the background of their reel as they massacre a salad? Consider this: gen Z – the most online generation, who came of age during the pandemic, and many of whom started careers remotely – love a structured communal activity. This same desire driving the popularity of young people’s running clubs, group hikes and art nights: they’re craving offline social connection.

I Prefer Dining in One of Those One-Person Ramen Booths They Have in Tokyo.

This may not appeal to you, but many youths feel isolated (47% of them, according to an Oxfam study released this summer). In a 2023 US report a third of males aged between 18 to 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. Research Shows Those Dining in Groups More Often Feel Happier

Talking to strangers is beneficial, too: it enhances our feeling of community. Additionally the Resy survey highlights an additional benefit: 14% of survey respondents said they’d landed a date at a communal dining experience. Given gen Z have gone off the apps, this offers a chance for a spontaneous "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."

Don’t say: "Things are fine until food spills on your vintage clothes."