Younger Diners Are Embracing Eating With Strangers

"In a 2006 piece for The New York Times, during his time as the newspaper's restaurant critic, Frank Bruni discussed the appeal of communal dining. He described dining at the communal table at Boqueria and encountering a couple who enjoyed the experience, in part because said tables "[encouraged] mingling with other diners." For diners who enjoy this, the communal table is a plus - and, based on a host of recent reporting, the communal table seems to be making a comeback."

"Last summer at The Atlantic, Ellen Cushing discussed hearing from restaurant contacts that "they're getting new requests for communal setups, in restaurants from food courts up to and including the kinds of places where diners spend hundreds of dollars and reservations are impossible to secure." A recent Business Insider article on the trend by Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert explores why: in the wake of pandemic lockdowns, Gen Z diners are eager to sit beside strangers and chow down."

"The appeal of communal dining does seem to be more pronounced for a younger generation. According to Resy's recently-released overview of the year's dining trends, 60% of Boomers enjoyed the communal table experience, as compared to 90% of Gen Z survey recipients. A third of the people responding to the survey said that they had made new friends this way, while one in seven said that communal dining had resulted in a date with someone they met at the table."

Communal dining encourages mingling among strangers and has regained popularity across a wide range of venues, from casual food courts to high-end restaurants. Younger diners, particularly Gen Z, are notably enthusiastic about shared tables and the social opportunities they create. Surveys show higher enjoyment among younger respondents, with many reporting new friendships and occasional romantic encounters originating at communal tables. The format provides a way to contribute to group conversations with perceived social safety. At the same time, shared seating can produce awkward or uncomfortable experiences for some patrons, so it is not universally preferred.

Read at InsideHook