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Term: Communal tables.

Look: Lengthy, awkward and making a comeback.

Communal Dining is Back? Not Again. The Only Acceptable Place for Long Benches is the Cafeteria

Who would voluntarily eat with strangers as an adult with free will? The younger generation, apparently. According to data from the dining booking company Resy, "90% of gen Z diners say they like communal tables, versus just six in ten of older generations".

A Sign of the Times. Before You Start Harrumphing Regarding Younger People

Communal eating in patriotic “British Restaurants” was a major trend during the second world war, in fact – 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?

It’s an alien concept for you, I know, but communal tables can be fun! As Pablo Rivero explains: "They naturally turn dinner into a shared experience," and "The excitement lies in not knowing your neighbor!"

The “Fun” of An Interrupted Meal by Someone Explaining Loudly About Their Therapy 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 entered an almost exclusively digital workplace – enjoy organized group events. It’s the same impulse behind the rise of youth running groups, hiking outings and crafting nights: they’re craving offline social connection.

I Prefer Dining in a Solo Ramen Stall Found in Japan.

This may not appeal to you, but lots of young people are lonely (47% of them, as per an Oxfam study released this summer). In a 2023 US report a third of males aged between 18 to 23 reported they had no contact outside their household in the previous seven days. Isn't it positive they’re going out and sharing meals with new people?

Perhaps. Research Shows Those Dining in Groups 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 spontaneous "meat-cute".

I Hate That Pun 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."