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Term: Communal tables.

Appearance: Lengthy, awkward and making a comeback.

The Return of Communal Eating? Not Again. The Sole Appropriate Location for Long Benches is the Cafeteria

What kind of adult chooses to dine alongside strangers? Gen Z, it seems. Research indicates from the restaurant reservations company Resy, "90% of young adult patrons say they like shared seating, versus just 60% of older generations".

A Sign of the Times. Before You Start Harrumphing About the Youth of Today

Group dining in patriotic “British Restaurants” was a major trend during the second world war, actually – there were about two thousand five hundred of them, supported by Winston Churchill.

I Suppose It Made Sense When Food Was Scarce, But Why Do It Now?

It’s an alien concept for you, I know, but communal tables can be enjoyable! As the Resy CEO notes: "Dinner becomes a collective event," and "The excitement lies in not knowing your neighbor!"

The Enjoyment From An Interrupted Meal by Someone Explaining Loudly About Their Therapy Revealing They Are an Empath

Or being squeezed next to a fitness enthusiast eating chicken to fuel his "farmer’s carries"? Or a nano-influencer capturing you in the background of their reel as they massacre a salad? You have to remember: young adults – the most digitally connected group, who came of age during the pandemic, and many of whom entered an almost exclusively digital workplace – love a structured communal activity. This same desire behind the rise of youth running groups, group hikes and crafting nights: they’re craving offline social connection.

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 (Nearly half of them, as per an Oxfam study published in June). A recent American study a third of males aged between 18 to 23 reported they hadn’t seen anyone outside their household in the previous seven days. Isn’t it a good thing they’re getting out and sharing meals with new people?

I Suppose. Research Shows Those Dining in Groups More Often Feel Happier

Conversing with new people is beneficial, too: it gives us a greater sense of belonging. Plus the Resy survey points out another advantage: one in seven survey respondents said they’d found a romantic partner at a shared meal event. Since young people are leaving dating apps, this gives them a shot at a unplanned "meet-cute".

I Hate That Pun Almost as Much as I Dislike Shared Seating.

My work here is done.

Appropriate comment: "Young adults believe shared meals are a total success."

Don’t say: "Things are fine until food spills on your vintage clothes."