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Name: Communal seating arrangements.

Appearance: Long, uncomfortable and back in fashion.

Communal Dining is Back? Oh no. The Only Acceptable Place 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 enjoy shared seating, compared with 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 nationalistic eateries was a major trend during the WWII, actually – there were about two thousand five hundred of them, backed by Winston Churchill.

It Was Logical When Food Was Scarce, But Why Do It Now?

It’s an alien concept for you, I know, but shared dining can be enjoyable! As the Resy CEO explains: "Dinner becomes a collective event," and "The excitement lies in not knowing your neighbor!"

The Enjoyment From An Interrupted Meal by Someone Explaining Loudly About Their Therapy Says They’re “a Highly Sensitive Empath”

Or being squeezed next to a fitness enthusiast eating chicken to fuel his "farmer’s carries"? Or a social media user filming you accidentally in their video as they massacre a salad? You have to remember: young adults – the most online generation, who grew up during COVID, 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 seeking real-world interactions.

I Prefer Dining in a Solo Ramen Stall They Have in Tokyo.

This may not appeal to you, but many youths feel isolated (47% of them, as per an Oxfam study published in June). In a 2023 US report a third of males aged between 18 to 23 reported they hadn’t seen anyone outside their household in the previous seven days. Isn’t it a good thing they’re going out and breaking bread with strangers?

Perhaps. Studies Indicate Those Dining in Groups Report Greater Happiness

Talking to strangers is beneficial, too: it enhances our feeling of community. Plus the Resy survey highlights an additional benefit: one in seven survey respondents said they’d found a romantic partner at a shared meal event. Since young people are leaving dating apps, this offers a chance for a spontaneous "meat-cute".

That Joke Annoys Me Almost as Much as I Hate Communal Tables.

My work here is done.

Appropriate comment: "Gen Z think communal dining ate and left no crumbs."

Don’t say: "Things are fine until food spills on your vintage clothes."