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Term: Shared seating arrangements.

Look: Long, awkward and making a comeback.

Communal Dining is Back? Oh no. The Sole Appropriate Location for Refectory Tables is the Cafeteria

What kind of adult chooses to dine alongside strangers? Gen Z, it seems. According to data from the dining booking company Resy, "Nine out of ten of gen Z diners say they enjoy shared seating, compared with just 60% of older generations".

I’ve Never Felt More Out of Touch. Before Complaining About the Youth of Today

Communal eating in nationalistic eateries was a major trend during the second world war, in fact – there were about 2,500 of them, backed by Winston Churchill.

It Was Logical When Food Was Scarce, What's the Appeal Today?

This might seem strange to you, admittedly, but shared dining 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 “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 social media user capturing you in the background in their video while eating a salad? Consider this: young adults – the most digitally connected group, who came of age during the pandemic, and many of whom entered an almost exclusively digital workplace – love a structured communal activity. It’s the same impulse behind the rise of youth running groups, hiking outings and crafting nights: they’re craving offline social connection.

I’d Rather Eat 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 released this summer). A recent American study 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 getting out and sharing meals with new people?

Perhaps. Studies Indicate Those Dining in Groups Report Greater Happiness

Talking to strangers is good for us, too: it enhances our feeling of community. Additionally 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 unplanned "meet-cute".

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

My work here is done.

Appropriate comment: "Young adults believe shared meals are a total success."

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