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Why Restaurants Are Bringing Back The Communal Dining Table
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Why Restaurants Are Bringing Back The Communal Dining Table

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Charlie Brown
Aug 23, 2024
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Why Restaurants Are Bringing Back The Communal Dining Table
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Welcome to The Sauce, deep dives into food and drink culture.

I’m taking a bit of time off during August. That doesn’t mean you won’t be hearing from me — scheduling is a wonderful thing. But it does mean I might be less active in the comments section.

As always, a quick reminder that The Sauce is a reader-supported publication. Paying for a subscription means I don’t have to rely on advertisements or affiliate schemes. Paid subscribers get access to everything The Sauce has to offer, from a deep recipe archive to every single essay. Hit the button below to sign up.

You might hate the thought of communal eating in restaurants.

You might think it’s a fate worse than death to bump elbows with strangers on your date night. Or when someone overhears an intimate conversation between you and your best friend.

And what if you’re seated next to a manspreader? Or someone who is sick?

Whilst these are all valid points, they may be moot because apparently, restaurants are bringing back the communal dining table.

It is officially the Next Big Thing.

And not just in informal places either. Some of the most bougie restaurants in the world have clients sitting ass to ass whilst serving $150 tasting menus.

I totally appreciate the concerns. They’re valid. But as someone who owned a wine bar whose floor space was largely occupied by a communal table, I can’t say I hate the idea.

In fact, I quite like it.

Because when it comes to eating out, there is more at stake than you may realise.

For both you and the restaurant.

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