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Name: Communal seating arrangements.

Appearance: Lengthy, awkward and making a comeback.

The Return of Communal Eating? Oh no. The Sole Appropriate Location for Refectory Tables is the School Canteen

Who would voluntarily eat with strangers as an adult with free will? The younger generation, it seems. According to data from the restaurant reservations company Resy, "Nine out of ten of gen Z diners say they like communal tables, compared with just 60% of older generations".

I’ve Never Felt More Out of Touch. Before You Start Harrumphing About the Youth of Today

Group dining in nationalistic eateries was a big thing during the WWII, actually – there were about 2,500 of them, supported by Winston Churchill.

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

This might seem strange to you, admittedly, but shared dining can be fun! As Pablo Rivero 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 Having Dinner Interrupted by A Loud Conversation About Their Therapy Revealing They Are an Empath

Or being squeezed next to a Hyrox bore eating chicken to fuel his "workout routines"? Or a nano-influencer capturing you in the background of their reel while eating a salad? You have to remember: gen Z – the most online generation, who grew up during COVID, and many of whom entered an almost exclusively digital workplace – love a structured communal activity. This same desire driving the popularity of young people’s running clubs, hiking outings and crafting nights: they’re seeking real-world interactions.

I Prefer Dining in One of Those One-Person Ramen Booths Found in Japan.

This may not appeal to you, but lots of young people are lonely (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 past week. Isn’t it a good thing they’re getting out and sharing meals with new people?

Perhaps. Research Shows People Who Eat Socially Report Greater Happiness

Talking to strangers is good for us, too: it enhances our feeling of community. Plus the Resy data highlights an additional benefit: one in seven survey respondents said they’d found a romantic partner at a shared meal event. Given gen Z have gone off the apps, this gives them a shot at a spontaneous "meat-cute".

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

My work here is done.

Do say: "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."