Close Menu
Influential MagazineInfluential Magazine
  • Home
  • Latest News
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Business
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • More
    • Web Stories
    • Editor’s Picks
    • Press Release

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest business and finance news for entrepreneurs all around the world.

What's Hot
Video: Toy Company Still In Crisis Despite Reduced Tariffs on China

Video: Toy Company Still In Crisis Despite Reduced Tariffs on China

May 27, 2025
Plastic Spoons, Umbrellas, Violins: A Guide to What Americans Buy From China

Plastic Spoons, Umbrellas, Violins: A Guide to What Americans Buy From China

May 24, 2025
Are You Smarter Than a Billionaire?

Are You Smarter Than a Billionaire?

May 22, 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Influential MagazineInfluential Magazine
SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • Latest News
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Business
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • More
    • Web Stories
    • Editor’s Picks
    • Press Release
Influential MagazineInfluential Magazine
Home » Why Is Dining Alone So Difficult?

Why Is Dining Alone So Difficult?

March 25, 20257 Mins Read Business
Why Is Dining Alone So Difficult?
Share
Facebook Twitter Reddit Telegram Pinterest Email

There are few customers Conor Proft appreciates more than people who eat alone.

A bartender at the Italian restaurant Fausto, in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, he said the solo diners he serves tend to be more engaged and willing to chat. They are self-aware and more attuned to the restaurant’s rhythms.

But does Mr. Proft dine alone? Rarely.

“I love the romantic ideal of going into a restaurant and sitting at the bar and striking up a conversation with a bartender,” he said. “But oftentimes in practice, I am just consumed with anxiety” about standing out.

This is part of the paradox of solo dining. Even as Americans are spending more time on their own, many find eating out alone to be rife with awkwardness and judgment. And many restaurateurs, who already run their businesses on thin profit margins, worry that tables for one will cost them.

Reservations for solo dining in the United States have risen by 64 percent since 2019, according to data from OpenTable, and 21 percent from 2022 to 2023, according to Resy. The increase in eating alone is probably even greater, given that many people simply walk in.

The trend may stem in part from a post-pandemic uptick in business trips, when solo travelers need to grab a bite, or the rising attention given to self-care, said Debby Soo, OpenTable’s chief executive.

But more solo dining doesn’t necessarily mean better accommodation or less of a stigma, according to diners and restaurateurs interviewed by The New York Times. They have strong feelings about the topic: More than 2,000 readers responded in the 24 hours after we asked them to share their thoughts.

Several diners described the experience of entering a restaurant hoping to treat themselves to a relaxing meal, then feeling guilty for taking up space, or fearful that they’re being judged by everyone around them.

“When you walk in by yourself, the look on the host or hostess’s face changes,” said Rajika Shah, a lawyer in Los Angeles who used to dine alone frequently, as she moved often for work and wanted to explore local dining. “It is sometimes a look of panic, like ‘What are we going to do with this person?’ Or sometimes it is a look of sympathy.”

Ms. Shah, 51, said she is often led to the worst table in the dining room, neglected by her server, and then rushed out at the end of the meal. She blamed the tipping system — because workers are reliant on tips, she said, they may be less attentive to those who spend less than groups.

“I am just so tired of being treated like a second-class citizen,” she said.

Even the menu can feel exclusionary: The shareable small plates that dominate many menus make it expensive and “difficult to eat a balanced and well-proportioned meal alone,” said Amanda Lao, 55, who lives in Chicago and started solo dining while traveling for her former job as an auditor.

Just a photo of someone eating alone can make people uncomfortable, said Jerry Hsu, a photographer in Los Angeles who started a project called “Table for One” in 2008, shooting solo diners. When he first posted the pictures on Tumblr without commentary, viewers accused him of mocking his subjects.

“I was honoring them,” Mr. Hsu said. “They seemed very content.”

When Karen Follon, 77, a retired development director for the Omaha Symphony, sees someone alone at a table, she feels sorry for them. “The conversation is an important part of the meal,” she said.

Several restaurant owners said they would love to better accommodate solo diners, but that desire is sometimes complicated by the difficult economics of the business.

Kann, a Haitian restaurant in Portland, Ore., sets aside just one reservable seat for a solo diner each night, at the chef’s counter.

“At any restaurant, two is the most popular table request size,” said Gregory Gourdet, Kann’s chef and owner. If he gives a table for two to one person, he said, the restaurant loses money. “I think margins are so tight, and it is so hard to run a restaurant in America that these systems just fall into place.”

At Kann, single walk-ins are directed to the three-seat bar.

For most solo diners, eating at the bar has long been the default option, assuming there’s an available seat. More independent restaurants have started taking reservations for the bar, but many still don’t. And many won’t take table reservations for fewer than two people.

You can’t reserve a table for one, for example, at Cote Korean steakhouse, in Miami and Manhattan, or Coqodaq, a fried-chicken restaurant in Manhattan. The menus are centered on large-format feasts meant for groups, said Simon Kim, the owner.

“I really wanted to celebrate the social dining aspect — fried-chicken sharing, Korean-barbecue sharing,” he said. “Having a high energy restaurant with a solo diner, not necessarily being part of the vibe, creates a little bit of awkwardness.”

But he still allows some parties of one: Coqodaq has a bar for walk-ins to accommodate those who want a lower-key experience, said Mr. Kim. (Cote’s bar is standing-room-only.)

The assumption that people need to be coupled or grouped goes beyond restaurants, said Bella DePaulo, a social psychologist in Summerland, Calif., and the author of the 2023 book “Single at Heart: The Power, Freedom and Heart-Filling Joy of Single Life.”

Scientists have long examined the negative impacts of solitude, but studies on how it can be a peaceful, self-esteem-building experience are rarer, she said. The 2025 World Happiness Report, published last week by the University of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre, suggests that solitary activities, including solo meals, can lead to depression and shorter life expectancies. Dr. DePaulo also pointed to a recent, highly circulated article in The Atlantic, “The Anti-Social Century,” which links practices like solo dining to reclusion and loneliness.

Dr. DePaulo finds that conclusion dubious. “People who are lonely are going to stay home,” she said. “They are not going to go out to a restaurant. People who go out on their own are confident.”

To her, this bias against lone diners feels distinctly American. Since the 1950s, she said, the United States has placed a high value on the nuclear family.

“We are a nation that really romanticizes romantic coupling and marriage, and stigmatizing people who are single or do things alone is part of that,” she said. She compared this with attitudes in countries like Japan, where it is common to see someone slurping ramen or enjoying an omakase solo.

At a time when 46.4 percent of American adults are single, according to 2022 Census data, and many couples are sleeping or even living separately, Dr. DePaulo said, why shouldn’t it be socially acceptable to dine alone?

There is one style of American restaurant that consistently welcomes solo diners: the casual chain restaurant, like Olive Garden or Applebee’s.

Eating alone at Olive Garden has inspired a robust genre of TikTok videos. At Applebee’s, which has more than 1,500 locations in the United States, nearly a quarter of all in-restaurant orders are for single entrees. Its restaurants are designed with the bar at the center, to make customers feel comfortable rather than isolated, said Joel Yashinsky, the company’s chief marketing officer.

Several people interviewed said they felt more comfortable eating alone at a casual restaurant than at a high-end one. Others said it felt easier in big cities, which allow you to “be more anonymous when you walk into a restaurant,” said Nancy Scherl, who photographs solo diners and published the 2022 photo book “Dining Alone: In the Company of Solitude.”

Identity markers like race and gender also play a role. Aaron Fountain, 33, an editor at the National Museum of African American History and Culture who lives in Silver Spring, Md., said he often gets poor treatment when he dines alone, whether it’s being asked to pay in advance at a sit-down restaurant or being ignored by bartenders. He wondered if this is because he is Black, not because he is by himself.

Paula Shepard, a fashion executive in Manhattan, said that as a woman eating alone, she has drawn unwanted attention from men, and some have mistaken her for an escort. But she is undeterred.

“My husband and I raised two children, and my favorite activity Sunday afternoon was mommy time,” said Ms. Shepard, 71, who has been dining alone for at least 30 years, whether for a quick meal before a show or a relaxed dinner away from her family. “Go get a mani-pedi and have a nice lunch by myself.”

Etc.) Happiness Hotels Loneliness Reservations (Airlines Restaurants Single Persons
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Telegram Reddit Email
Previous ArticleLayoffs and Unemployment Grow Among College Graduates
Next Article Leaked War Plans, and the Trouble with Off-channel Messaging

Related Posts

Video: Toy Company Still In Crisis Despite Reduced Tariffs on China

Video: Toy Company Still In Crisis Despite Reduced Tariffs on China

May 27, 2025
Plastic Spoons, Umbrellas, Violins: A Guide to What Americans Buy From China

Plastic Spoons, Umbrellas, Violins: A Guide to What Americans Buy From China

May 24, 2025
Are You Smarter Than a Billionaire?

Are You Smarter Than a Billionaire?

May 22, 2025
Markets Head Lower in Wake of Concerns About U.S. Debt

Markets Head Lower in Wake of Concerns About U.S. Debt

May 19, 2025
Video: How Staffing Shortages Have Plagued Newark Airport

Video: How Staffing Shortages Have Plagued Newark Airport

May 17, 2025
Consumers Show Signs of Strain Amid Trump’s Tariff Rollout

Consumers Show Signs of Strain Amid Trump’s Tariff Rollout

May 15, 2025
Add A Comment

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Demo
Stay In Touch
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Vimeo
Don't Miss
Video: Toy Company Still In Crisis Despite Reduced Tariffs on China

Video: Toy Company Still In Crisis Despite Reduced Tariffs on China

By News RoomMay 27, 2025

new video loaded: Toy Company Still In Crisis Despite Reduced Tariffs on ChinatranscriptBacktranscriptToy Company Still…

Plastic Spoons, Umbrellas, Violins: A Guide to What Americans Buy From China

Plastic Spoons, Umbrellas, Violins: A Guide to What Americans Buy From China

May 24, 2025
Are You Smarter Than a Billionaire?

Are You Smarter Than a Billionaire?

May 22, 2025
Wedding Belles Love Expands with Size-Inclusive, Same-Day Bridalwear Boutique

Wedding Belles Love Expands with Size-Inclusive, Same-Day Bridalwear Boutique

May 22, 2025

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest business and finance news for entrepreneurs all around the world.

About Us
About Us

Influential Magazine is one of the top news portals about Business and Finance news for Entrepreneurs and leaders all around the world, follow us for more intersting articles and news.

Our Picks
Wedding Belles Love Expands with Size-Inclusive, Same-Day Bridalwear Boutique

Wedding Belles Love Expands with Size-Inclusive, Same-Day Bridalwear Boutique

May 22, 2025
Markets Head Lower in Wake of Concerns About U.S. Debt

Markets Head Lower in Wake of Concerns About U.S. Debt

May 19, 2025
Video: How Staffing Shortages Have Plagued Newark Airport

Video: How Staffing Shortages Have Plagued Newark Airport

May 17, 2025
Trending Now
Consumers Show Signs of Strain Amid Trump’s Tariff Rollout

Consumers Show Signs of Strain Amid Trump’s Tariff Rollout

May 15, 2025
Inside Elon Musk’s X Feed: Trumpism, Falsehoods and Lots of Love for Elon Musk

Inside Elon Musk’s X Feed: Trumpism, Falsehoods and Lots of Love for Elon Musk

May 15, 2025
World Economic Forum Investigating Allegations Against Founder Klaus Schwab

World Economic Forum Investigating Allegations Against Founder Klaus Schwab

May 15, 2025
Influential Magazine
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram LinkedIn
  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Terms & Conditions
© 2025 Influential Mag. All Rights Reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.