Communal restaurant tables: 90% of gen Z like them but why?

"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 someone explaining loudly that their therapist says they're a highly sensitive empath as they elbow you in the face reaching for the soy sauce? Or being squeezed next to a Hyrox bore chomping chicken breasts to fuel his farmer's carries?"

"According to Business Insider, data from the restaurant reservations company Resy reveals 90% of gen Z diners say they enjoy communal tables, compared with just 60% of boomers. I've never felt more out of touch. Before you start harrumphing about the youth of today, communal eating in patriotic British Restaurants was a big thing during the second world war, actually there were about 2,500 of them, supported by Winston Churchill."

Communal dining has returned to fashion with long, refectory-style tables appearing in restaurants. Data from the reservations company Resy shows 90% of Gen Z diners enjoy communal tables, compared with 60% of boomers. Communal eating had historical precedent in wartime Britain, with about 2,500 patriotic restaurants supported by Winston Churchill. Proponents say communal tables turn dinner into a shared experience and introduce unpredictability in seating. Critics cite awkward interruptions, lack of privacy, and mismatched companions as downsides. Many young people seek structured offline social activities after pandemic-era isolation, and surveys find high levels of loneliness among young adults.

Read at www.theguardian.com