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Name: Shared tables.

Look: Long, uncomfortable and back in fashion.

Communal Dining is Back? 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, apparently. Research indicates from the restaurant reservations company Resy, "Nine out of ten of gen Z diners say they enjoy communal tables, compared with just six in ten of older generations".

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, actually – there were about two thousand five hundred of them, backed by Winston Churchill.

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

This might seem strange to you, I know, but shared dining can be fun! As Pablo Rivero explains: "Dinner becomes a collective event," 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 About Their Therapy Says They’re “a Highly Sensitive Empath”

Or being squeezed next to a fitness enthusiast chomping chicken breasts to fuel his "workout routines"? 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 digitally connected group, 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 youth running groups, group hikes and art nights: they’re craving offline social connection.

I’d Rather Eat in One of Those One-Person Ramen Booths Found in Japan.

You might not fancy it, but lots of young people are lonely (47% of them, as per an Oxfam study published in June). 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 Those Dining in Groups More Often Feel Happier

Talking to strangers is good for us, too: it gives us a greater sense of belonging. Plus the Resy data 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 gives them a shot at a spontaneous "meat-cute".

I Hate That Pun Nearly as Much as I Hate Communal Tables.

Mission accomplished.

Do say: "Gen Z think communal dining ate and left no crumbs."

Don’t say: "It’s all fun and games until someone drops a katsu prawn on your Y2K baggy jeans."