How Restaurants Became Social Again in 2025

The reservation platform Resy’s 2025 year-end report describes changes in US restaurants. After years of takeout and solo meals at home, restaurants became gathering places again. According to the platform, guests are eating out more and eating differently; Resy calls 2025 the year of “connected dining.”

Almost three-quarters of diners prefer to bring a “table captain,” someone who knows the restaurant well. That person orders for everyone, helps the group choose from the menu, and remembers who has a shellfish allergy. That is dining by delegation, and 60% say it improves the entire experience.

Sharing has become the default. Steve Wong, who runs several New York restaurants including Place des Fêtes, says younger guests want variety and discovery. His crispy maitake mushrooms were among the most-ordered dishes of 2025 and are designed to be passed around the table. The lamb wraps at Miami’s Tâm Tâm and Persian tahdig at Kismet in Los Angeles are also suited to sharing. Such dishes become conversation starters at the table.

Ninety percent of Gen Z diners actively enjoy sitting with strangers at communal tables, compared with 60% of baby boomers. For younger guests, restaurants are becoming places to meet people.

Timing has changed too. More Americans eat at restaurants between 5 and 6 PM than during the full three-hour period from 8 to 11 PM. Reservations at 4 PM are also becoming common. Nearly half cite a desire to avoid crowds; others want to keep the rest of the evening free.

The report also covers reservation resale. During the pandemic, bots and scalpers booked tables and resold the reservations at a markup. New York and Florida passed laws against the practice in 2025. In New York, bot-driven no-shows fell by 90% after Governor Hochul’s anti-piracy law took effect. One restaurant operator who previously faced a 25% no-show rate now serves actual guests rather than holding tables for fake reservations.

Both restaurants and guests used technology. Restaurants adopted systems to help coordinate the kitchen and dining room, while guests set alerts so they could book tables as soon as they became available.

Looking ahead, Resy sees new trends taking shape: tableside martini carts at French restaurants, mortadella appearing on menus across the country, and Cambodian, Lao, and Hmong cuisines gaining recognition. Resy also notes that martinis are shrinking: two-sip “tiny ’tinis” are showing up from Charleston to Nashville.