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Name: Shared seating arrangements.

Appearance: Lengthy, awkward and back in fashion.

The Return of Communal Eating? Not Again. The Only Acceptable Place for Refectory Tables 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 communal tables, compared with just 60% of boomers".

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 2,500 of them, backed by Winston Churchill.

I Suppose It Made Sense When Food Was Scarce, What's the Appeal Today?

It’s an alien concept for you, I know, but communal tables can be enjoyable! As Pablo Rivero explains: "Dinner becomes a collective event," and "The excitement lies in not knowing your neighbor!"

The “Fun” of An Interrupted Meal by Someone Explaining Loudly That Their Therapist Says They’re “a Highly Sensitive Empath”

Or sitting beside a fitness enthusiast chomping chicken breasts to fuel his "farmer’s carries"? Or a nano-influencer filming you accidentally 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 Prefer Dining in a Solo Ramen Stall Found in Japan.

You might not fancy it, but many youths feel isolated (47% of them, according to an Oxfam survey published in June). A recent American study , one-third of men aged between 18 to 23 reported they hadn’t seen anyone outside their household in the previous seven days. Isn't it positive they’re going out and sharing meals with new people?

Perhaps. Studies Indicate People Who Eat Socially More Often Feel Happier

Conversing with new people is good for us, too: it enhances our feeling of community. 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 offers a chance for a unplanned "meet-cute".

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

My work here is done.

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."