A table for one: solo dining is becoming more popular

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Parisa Imanirad, a scientist and cancer researcher from San Francisco, is married and has a wide circle of friends.

But once or twice a week she likes to eat out alone.

Imanirad says eating alone gives her time to think or read, but she tries to touch her phone as little as possible and enjoys the silence.

She’s not the only one who wants to eat alone sometimes.

“I’m a very social person. I have so many friends. I love spending time with them, but I also like to have some time for myself, and sometimes I’ll even go to a nice restaurant and have a really nice meal. I mean, it’s really nice to just be by myself.”

According to OpenTable, the restaurant reservation website, solo restaurant reservations in the United States have increased by 29 percent over the past two years. Germany has seen an 18 percent increase this year, and the United Kingdom has seen a 14 percent increase.

In Japan, there is even a special term for solo dining: “ohitorisama,” which means “alone,” but with pleasantries before and afterward so that guests feel less insecure.

A recent survey found that 23 percent of Japanese eat out alone, up from 18 percent in 2018.

OpenTable CEO Debby Soo believes working from home is one reason for the increase, as guests look for a break from their home offices.

“Walk ins and solo dining are a couple made in heaven. So, it’s a great way to get access to restaurants that are often fully booked or very popular. And when you’re on your own, I think you notice a lot more in the ambiance, in, you know, the service that you get with the food. You can order what you want. Which as a mom, often when I eat with my family, that’s not the case.”

In other cases, people dining alone simply want to treat themselves or try a new restaurant.

The pandemic has also made social interaction during meals less important.

Smartphones allow some guests to feel connected to others, even when they are alone.

Population growth can also explain the increase.

In 2019, the Pew Research Center found that 38 percent of American adults between the ages of 25 and 54 were living without a partner, up from 29 percent in 1990.

In Japan, one-third of the total number of single-person households consists of one person. This percentage is expected to increase to 40 percent by 2040.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there were 2.8 million single-person households in 2023.

Tim Stannard runs a restaurant and hospitality management consultancy in the UK.

“There was definitely a period where there were no solo diners. Over the years, I’ve seen it become more and more popular, kind of because the stigma of dining alone has gone away. But it’s definitely accelerated post-pandemic. When I see a single person sitting in the dining room, enjoying the experience, going out of their way to have the experience. And they’re just there for the food and the service, and the ambiance really makes me happy. So yeah, we could probably ring the cash register a little bit more if there was someone else sitting there. But I feel honored that there are single diners in the dining room.”

The growing interest in solo travel, especially among travelers aged 55 and over, is also leading to people eating alone more often.

Restaurants are not always happy to seat one person at a table that could actually accommodate more guests.

A posh London restaurant caused a stir last year when it started charging single diners the same price as two diners.

Others say it’s worth giving up a table to someone who comes to eat alone, as these are often loyal, repeat guests.