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Name: Communal tables.

Look: Long, uncomfortable and back in fashion.

The Return of Communal Eating? Not Again. The Sole Appropriate Location for Long Benches is the Cafeteria

What kind of adult chooses to dine alongside strangers? The younger generation, apparently. According to data from the dining booking company Resy, "90% of young adult patrons say they like shared seating, versus just 60% of older generations".

I’ve Never Felt More Out of Touch. Before You Start Harrumphing About the Youth of Today

Communal eating in patriotic “British Restaurants” was a major trend during the WWII, actually – there were about 2,500 of them, supported by Winston Churchill.

I Suppose It Made Sense During Times of Rationing, But Why Do It Now?

It’s an alien concept for you, admittedly, but communal tables can be enjoyable! As the Resy CEO notes: "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 Enjoyment From An Interrupted Meal by A Loud Conversation 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 nano-influencer capturing you in the background in their video 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 entered an almost exclusively digital workplace – enjoy organized group events. It’s the same impulse driving the popularity 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.

This may not appeal to you, but lots of young people are lonely (47% of them, as per an Oxfam survey published in June). In a 2023 US report a third of males aged between 18 and 23 reported they had no contact outside their household in the previous seven days. Isn't it positive they’re getting out and breaking bread with strangers?

Perhaps. Studies Indicate People Who Eat Socially Report Greater Happiness

Talking to strangers is good for us, too: it gives us a greater sense of belonging. Additionally the Resy data points out another advantage: one in seven survey respondents said they’d landed a date at a communal dining experience. Given gen Z have gone off the apps, this offers a chance for a unplanned "meet-cute".

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

Mission accomplished.

Do say: "Young adults believe shared meals are a total success."

Inappropriate remark: "Things are fine until food spills on your vintage clothes."