Gen Z is mastering the art of the public breakup, and there's now a mini economy around it

"From Lane Denbro's vantage point in the open kitchen of the trendy restaurant where he worked, it was hard to tell which was causing the couple more pain: the spicy food ... or the unfolding break-up. "They were ordering all of the spicy dishes on the menu, and so I just remember thinking that it must add so much intensity to what is already an intense conversation about whether or not we're going to break up," Denbro tells me."

"The public, or quasi-public, break-up is its own storied genre. It's inspired some of the best scenes in great movies: The infamous " Legally Blonde" restaurant meltdown, or Mark Zuckerberg not realizing he's getting broken up with in " The Social Network" (Joe Cammarata, the co-owner of bar Tall Order, which took over the space in Somerville, MA, where that scene was filmed, says there's been at least one breakup in the bar since they opened in March)."

Lane Denbro observed a couple in an open-kitchen restaurant ordering spicy dishes as they grew more frustrated and ultimately decided to break up. Public or quasi-public breakups constitute a recognizable genre and have inspired memorable movie scenes such as Legally Blonde and The Social Network. A bar co-owner reported at least one breakup in his establishment after taking over a famous filming location. Public endings can be painful—sobbing at a coffee shop or park is unpleasant—but can also serve practical purposes, such as reducing risks when a partner's reaction is a concern. Smaller homes, higher rents, and shared living arrangements may increase public breakups.

Read at Business Insider