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Term: Communal seating arrangements.

Appearance: Long, awkward and making a comeback.

The Return of Communal Eating? Not Again. The Sole Appropriate Location for Refectory Tables is the Cafeteria

What kind of adult chooses to dine alongside strangers? Gen Z, apparently. Research indicates from the restaurant reservations company Resy, "90% of young adult patrons say they like communal tables, versus just six in ten of boomers".

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

Group dining in nationalistic eateries was a major trend during the second world war, actually – there were about two thousand five hundred of them, supported by Winston Churchill.

I Suppose It Made Sense During Times of Rationing, But Why Do It Now?

It’s an alien concept for you, admittedly, but shared dining can be fun! As the Resy CEO explains: "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 About Their Therapy Revealing They Are an Empath

Or being squeezed next to a Hyrox bore chomping chicken breasts to fuel his "workout routines"? Or a nano-influencer filming you accidentally of their reel as they massacre a salad? Consider this: gen Z – the most online generation, who grew up during COVID, and many of whom entered an almost exclusively digital workplace – enjoy organized group events. This same desire behind the rise of young people’s running clubs, hiking outings and crafting nights: they’re seeking real-world interactions.

I Prefer Dining in a Solo Ramen Stall Found in Japan.

You might not fancy it, but lots of young people are lonely (Nearly half of them, as per an Oxfam survey released this summer). A recent American study , one-third of men aged between 18 and 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 breaking bread with strangers?

Perhaps. Research Shows People Who Eat Socially More Often Feel Happier

Conversing with new people is beneficial, too: it enhances our feeling of community. 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 gives them a shot at a unplanned "meet-cute".

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

Mission accomplished.

Appropriate comment: "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."