Gen Z, driven by a desire for social connection, is bringing back a divisive dining trend: shared tables and communal dining. Older diners push back as Gen Z revives communal dining restaurant tables to connect with strangers after the isolation of the pandemic. Experts weigh in on the eating trend.
Apparently Gen-Z is ready to bring them back. A new survey commissioned by the reservation platform Resy found that 90 percent of Gen-Zers enjoy dining at communal tables, compared with 60 percent of boomers. One out of three respondents said they'd made a new friend around a communal table, and one in seven claimed they'd scored a date.
Older diners flinch at Wagamama-era benches, yet Gen Z are reviving communal dining. Here's why the loneliest generation is choosing to eat with strangers. Discover the top Boomer, Millennial, Gen X, and Gen Z dining trends based on TouchBistro's 2025 Diner Trends Report.
In the post-pandemic era, shared tables offer an easy way for digital natives to socialize. Gen Z would love to eat dinner right next to you: In the name of human connection, young adults embraced the divisive trend of communal dining this year, according to Resy. Don't be surprised if they revive hitchhiking next.
The reservation company's recent survey of 1,000 people who eat out in the US found that: 90% of Gen Z diners said they like sitting at shared tables, compared to 60%. Analysis of communal dining reveals its role as a nexus of social capital and restaurant economics, driven by Gen Z's preference for shared seating, cost-sharing, and in-person networking. Advanced analytics and AI optimize seating and guest matching, enhancing revenue, operational efficiency, and cross.
Communal tables are returning in restaurants and cafés as Gen Z embraces shared dining, social connection and community. Today's restaurants increasingly see communal tables as brand signals-symbols of accessibility, community, and creative dining culture. These tables shorten wait times, boost table turnover, and enhance atmosphere while giving restaurants new ways to engineer social dynamics.
For Gen Z, communal layouts feel natural because they mimic co-working spaces, group study environments, and social.