"Where diners once recoiled from the idea of rubbing elbows with strangers, Gen Z is pulling their chairs a little closer. According to new data from the online reservation service company Resy, 90% of Gen Z diners say they enjoy communal tables, compared to just 60% of boomers, highlighting a generational revival of one of the restaurant world's most polarizing trends: seating multiple groups of diners together at large banquet tables."
"For a generation raised online but hungry for real-world connection, sharing a table with strangers has become less about awkward proximity and more about the promise of controlled socialization, and the potential for a new friend - or even a date. "Share plates have become the new standard, especially among Gen Z, and communal tables are the perfect setting for that - they naturally turn dinner into a shared experience," Pablo Rivero, CEO of Resy and Tock and Senior Vice President of Global Dining at American Express, said. "You never know who you'll be seated next to; that's the fun of it!""
Gen Z has revived communal dining, with 90% of Gen Z diners reporting enjoyment of communal tables compared with 60% of boomers. Shared tables have surged before in the 1980s and 2000s, and post-pandemic social habits and digital nativity are driving renewed interest. Many diners view communal seating as a structured way to socialize, enabling conversations, friendships, and occasional dates. Resy data show 63% see communal tables as great for meeting people; half reported interesting conversations, one in three met a new friend, and one in seven reported landing a date. Communal dining remains polarizing but increasingly popular among younger diners.
Read at Business Insider
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