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Term: Shared tables.

Look: Long, uncomfortable and making a comeback.

The Return of Communal Eating? Oh no. 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, "Nine out of ten of young adult patrons say they enjoy communal tables, compared with just 60% of older generations".

A Sign of the Times. Before Complaining About the Youth of Today

Communal eating in patriotic “British Restaurants” was a big thing during the WWII, actually – there were about two thousand five hundred of them, supported by Winston Churchill.

It Was Logical During Times of Rationing, What's the Appeal Today?

This might seem strange to you, admittedly, but shared dining can be enjoyable! As the Resy CEO notes: "Dinner becomes a collective event," and "The excitement lies in not knowing your neighbor!"

The “Fun” of Having Dinner Interrupted 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 of their reel as they massacre a salad? Consider this: gen Z – 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. This same desire driving the popularity of young people’s running clubs, group hikes and crafting nights: they’re craving offline social connection.

I’d Rather Eat in a Solo Ramen Stall They Have in Tokyo.

You might not fancy it, but many youths feel isolated (47% of them, as per an Oxfam survey published in June). A recent American study a third of males aged between 18 and 23 reported they hadn’t seen anyone outside their household in the past week. Isn't it positive they’re going out and breaking bread with strangers?

Perhaps. Research Shows Those Dining in Groups More Often Feel Happier

Conversing with new people is good for us, too: it enhances our feeling of community. Additionally the Resy survey points out another advantage: one in seven 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 Almost as Much as I Hate Communal Tables.

Mission accomplished.

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

Don’t say: "It’s all fun and games until someone drops a katsu prawn on your Y2K baggy jeans."