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Name: Shared seating arrangements.

Look: Lengthy, uncomfortable and making a comeback.

Communal Dining is Back? 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 restaurant reservations company Resy, "Nine out of ten of young adult patrons say they enjoy communal tables, compared with just six in ten of older generations".

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

Group dining in patriotic “British Restaurants” was a major trend during the WWII, in fact – there were about two thousand five hundred of them, supported by Winston Churchill.

I Suppose It Made Sense During Times of Rationing, What's the Appeal Today?

This might seem strange to you, I know, but communal tables can be fun! As the Resy CEO explains: "Dinner becomes a collective event," and "You never know who you’ll be seated next to; that’s the fun of it!"

The Enjoyment From Having Dinner Interrupted 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 "workout routines"? Or a social media user capturing you in the background of their reel while eating a salad? Consider this: young adults – the most online generation, who grew up during COVID, and many of whom started careers remotely – enjoy organized group events. It’s the same impulse driving the popularity of young people’s running clubs, hiking outings 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, according to an Oxfam survey released this summer). A recent American study , one-third of men aged between 18 and 23 reported they had no contact outside their household in the previous seven days. Isn’t it a good thing they’re getting out and sharing meals with new people?

I Suppose. Studies Indicate Those Dining in Groups More Often Feel Happier

Conversing with new people is beneficial, too: it gives us a greater sense of belonging. Plus the Resy survey points out another advantage: 14% of survey respondents said they’d found a romantic partner at a communal dining experience. Given gen Z have gone off the apps, this gives them a shot at a spontaneous "meat-cute".

That Joke Annoys Me Almost as Much as I Dislike Shared Seating.

Mission accomplished.

Do say: "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."