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Term: Communal seating arrangements.

Appearance: Long, awkward and back in fashion.

Communal Dining is Back? Oh no. The Sole Appropriate Location for Long Benches is the School Canteen

What kind of adult chooses to dine alongside strangers? Gen Z, apparently. According to data from the dining booking company Resy, "90% of gen Z diners say they like communal tables, versus just six in ten of boomers".

A Sign of the Times. Before You Start Harrumphing About the Youth of Today

Communal eating in nationalistic eateries was a big thing during the second world war, in fact – there were about two thousand five hundred 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 communal tables can be enjoyable! As Pablo Rivero 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 A Loud Conversation That Their Therapist Revealing They Are an Empath

Or being squeezed next to a Hyrox bore chomping chicken breasts to fuel his "farmer’s carries"? Or a nano-influencer 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 started careers remotely – love a structured communal activity. This same desire driving the popularity of young people’s running clubs, group hikes and art nights: they’re craving offline social connection.

I Prefer Dining in a Solo Ramen Stall 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). A recent American study , one-third of men aged between 18 to 23 reported they had no contact outside their household in the previous seven days. Isn't it positive they’re getting out and sharing meals with new people?

I Suppose. Studies Indicate People Who Eat Socially Report Greater Happiness

Conversing with new people is good for us, too: it gives us a greater sense of belonging. Plus the Resy survey 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 "meat-cute".

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

Mission accomplished.

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

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