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Term: Shared seating arrangements.

Appearance: Long, awkward and back in fashion.

Communal Dining is Back? Not Again. The Sole Appropriate Location for Refectory Tables is the School Canteen

What kind of adult chooses to dine alongside strangers? Gen Z, it seems. According to data from the restaurant reservations company Resy, "90% of gen Z diners say they enjoy communal tables, versus just 60% of boomers".

A Sign of the Times. Before Complaining About the Youth of Today

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

It Was Logical When Food Was Scarce, But Why Do It Now?

This might seem strange to you, admittedly, but shared dining can be enjoyable! As Pablo Rivero explains: "They naturally turn dinner into a shared experience," and "The excitement lies in not knowing your neighbor!"

The Enjoyment From An Interrupted Meal by Someone Explaining Loudly About Their Therapy Says They’re “a Highly Sensitive 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? You have to remember: gen Z – the most online generation, who grew up during COVID, and many of whom entered an almost exclusively digital workplace – love a structured communal activity. It’s the same impulse behind the rise of youth running groups, hiking outings and crafting nights: they’re craving offline social connection.

I’d Rather Eat in a Solo Ramen Stall They Have in Tokyo.

This may not appeal to you, but lots of young people are lonely (Nearly half of them, as per an Oxfam study published in June). A recent American study a third of males aged between 18 to 23 reported they had no contact outside their household in the past week. Isn't it positive they’re going out and breaking bread with strangers?

Perhaps. Studies Indicate Those Dining in Groups Report Greater Happiness

Talking to strangers is beneficial, too: it gives us a greater sense of belonging. Additionally the Resy data highlights an additional benefit: 14% of survey respondents said they’d found a romantic partner at a communal dining experience. Since young people are leaving dating apps, this gives them a shot at a unplanned "meet-cute".

That Joke Annoys Me Nearly as Much as I Hate Communal Tables.

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."