Communal Tables Have Got to Go

[FunnyJohn]

Someone disapproves of communal seating arrangements in restaurants and is not shy about sharing their views :

"Communal tables are trash. They are garbage. And there is literally no reason to have them because I have never met one person who likes them and I ask every person I meet about their feelings on restaurant seating arrangements. If you’re a restaurateur, you can totally just trust me on this and not waste any more time or money on market research."

Let's discuss...

[dcs]

I hate that there are communal seats on buses. When I am alone I am alone for a reason. Why should I have to tolerate someone sitting next to me?

[StarStraf]

I always thought that sitting at the bar and ordering there was the sign you wanted to be social.

[DonRocks]

I wonder how many people who post on Yelp are "proud to support local businesses."

[ktmoomau]

I kind of like communal seating- it allows for bigger groups or small groups to be grouped together.  I am generally a polite person and I don't mind socializing, I like to sit at bars for the same reason.  I think it is likely versatile for some restaurants.  But i am often the person at lunch at Whole Foods when the tables are all full that will ask if I can sit with someone.

[DaveO]

Long before there were communal tables there were restaurants in NYC (at least Manhattan) wherein the tables were so close together that the setting was communal if not the tables themselves.  

I recall first experiencing them and feeling both cramped but enjoying the experience of conversing with your dining neighbors.

I enjoy them so long as the other folks aren't crabby.

[dcs]

It’s Time to Kill Communal Tables Once and for All, By Armen Stevens, August 25, 2017, on grubstreet.com.

[Al Dente]

My comfort level with sitting at a communal table usually depends on where I am, geographically speaking. I'm less likely to be thrilled about it in DC or NYC because... well, because of the attitude of the customers around me. Sorry for the generalization, but folks tend to be a lot less communally-oriented.

Communal dining in other places can be a great experience in terms of the connections (albeit temporary) you make with other diners. I can recall memorable meals at communal tables in Seattle, Santa Fe, and even the Eastern Shore. Not only was the meal good, but the company was as well.

[zgast]

When Frank Ruta was co-hosting dinners at Bread Furst we had a memorable communal table experience.  Chatting about schools and our kids, our table mates launched into a short sermon on the superiority of school X - based on the premise that it didn't pander to wishy washy modern norms and instead taught only the 'one true religion'.  Delivered without any sense of who they were speaking to (an atheist and someone who grew up in a dual religion household).  More wine, please!