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Term: Communal seating arrangements.

Appearance: Long, uncomfortable and back in fashion.

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

Who would voluntarily eat with strangers as an adult with free will? The younger generation, apparently. Research indicates from the dining booking company Resy, "Nine out of ten of gen Z diners say they enjoy shared seating, compared with just 60% of boomers".

A Sign of the Times. Before Complaining Regarding Younger People

Group dining in patriotic “British Restaurants” was a major trend during the second world war, actually – there were about two thousand five hundred of them, backed by Winston Churchill.

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

It’s an alien concept for you, I know, but communal tables can be enjoyable! 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 An Interrupted Meal by Someone Explaining Loudly That Their Therapist Says They’re “a Highly Sensitive Empath”

Or being squeezed next to a fitness enthusiast chomping chicken breasts to fuel his "farmer’s carries"? Or a social media user capturing you in the background of their reel while eating a salad? You have to remember: young adults – the most online generation, who came of age during the pandemic, and many of whom started careers remotely – enjoy organized group events. This same desire behind the rise 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.

You might not fancy it, but lots of young people are lonely (Nearly half of them, according to an Oxfam study released this summer). In a 2023 US report , one-third of men aged between 18 to 23 reported they had no contact 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 People Who Eat Socially More Often Feel Happier

Conversing with new people is beneficial, too: it enhances our feeling of community. Plus the Resy survey highlights an additional benefit: 14% of survey respondents said they’d landed a date at a shared meal event. Since young people are leaving dating apps, this offers a chance for a unplanned "meat-cute".

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

Mission accomplished.

Appropriate comment: "Young adults believe shared meals are a total success."

Inappropriate remark: "It’s all fun and games until someone drops a katsu prawn on your Y2K baggy jeans."