Gathering for a meal has been a social experience for thousands of years.
When we eat together, the most basic, primitive part of our brains instinctively respond by flooding our bodies with positive hormones.
Dining socially generates “We are safe and happy” biochemistry and emotions.
Within the smallest social group, the family, positive mealtimes help family members maintain relationships and feel a sense of belonging.
The joy of eating together, the value of table fellowship for deepening relationships, and the opportunity for sharing faith and study around the table have been discovered and rediscovered many times by religions.
Dining together also affords us the opportunity to practice mindfulness. The act of dining together allows us to take our minds off what we did before sitting down to eat and what we need to do after.
Dining together encourages us to be present in the moment – for ourselves and for each other.
Work-related meal sharing gives colleagues a chance to build relationships, facilitating inter and intra departmental cooperation.
Additionally, a lot of informal communication happens over meals. Coworkers may gain valuable and beneficial information they need to perform better.
Food is often a great conversation starter, especially when there are new or interesting dishes to try. It gives people something to talk about and that can help break the ice.
By eating with others, people can enjoy quality time together, share food traditions across generations and cultures, and build unity through shared plates.
Technology and automation are changing restaurant dining. Not always, and not all ways, for the better.
People have “friends” and “followers” on social media but actual human to human contact is different and becoming less common.
Loneliness is on the rise. Some have said we are in a friendship recession.
Dining together builds and reinforces social networks. Research has shown that social networks help fight mental and physical illness.
BOTTOM LINE:
People want and need connection.
Dining out should remain social.
You can make a difference in your restaurant,
your neighborhood, our world.
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