Not many people dine alone by choice. Me, myself, only dined out alone a handful of times my whole life.
The thought of eating at a restaurant alone could be daunting. Especially in most Asian countries where many passersby might think it’s pretty ‘pathetic’ or ‘sad’ not having someone to accompany your meals with and probably be labelled as a ‘friendless loser’ or ‘forever alone’.
However, a study done by OpenTable, an online restaurant reservation service showed that the amount of people who actually reserved a dinner-for-one have increased 62% since two years ago.
These lone wolves are not afraid any passing judgements that may befall on them while they take on the unnerving concept of eating alone. Dining alone could prove to be way more comfortable as you’ll have full control on food choices and there’s a lot less time wasting.
Solo dining is becoming more popular in large metropolitan areas including Dallas, Miami, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, Las Vegas and Chicago. Caroline Potter, chief dining officer at OpenTable, stated:
“As dining out has become one of our national pastimes, solo diners are taking every opportunity to visit top restaurants whenever they get the opportunity, much as they might attend a sporting event or show.”
She adds that dining alone is a great way to experience food and indulge in some quality ‘me’ time.
“Solo dining is about treating yourself to a delicious experience and savoring every bite. From communal and counter seating to doting table service, restaurants are welcoming parties of one with open arms.”
While diners in America are enjoying a cultural acceptance of solo dining that didn’t exist in decades past, we wonder if most Malaysians will soon adopt this concept too.
