Table for one? Yes, please.

Real talk: when’s the last time you ate a meal by yourself that didn’t involve standing over the sink or hiding in your car during your lunch break? 😂 If the answer is “literally never,” you are so not alone… which is ironic, because we’re about to tell you that MORE people are choosing to be alone. On purpose. At restaurants. With reservations and everything.

Turns out, solo dining isn’t just a “thing single people do.” It’s becoming a full-blown trend, and honestly? We kind of love it for everyone.

The numbers don’t lie

A new Restaurant Trends report from Toast is breaking down exactly how we’re eating out these days, and a few stats definitely caught our eye:

• Reservations for one are up 22% compared to last year
• Tuesday reservations are up 15% — the biggest jump of any day of the week
• 9 A.M. breakfast reservations are up 19%, making it the hottest new timeslot
• 10 A.M. and 4 P.M. “early bird” dinner reservations both climbed 15%

So basically, people are booking themselves a little “me time” mid-week, and we’re not mad about it. A quiet breakfast before the chaos starts, or an early dinner before pickup line madness? That sounds like self-care with a side of hash browns.

And yes, we have to talk about tipping

You knew this was coming. According to the report, the average full-service tip is sitting at 19.2%, which has basically held steady between 19-20% for the last eight years. Quick-service tips are holding at 15.8%, though that’s dipped slightly over the past eight years.

One more fun fact for your next group chat debate: tipping is highest in the Midwest (that’s us! 👋) and lowest in California and Washington. Make of that what you will.

So… would you book a table for one?

Maybe it’s a solo coffee shop breakfast before the kids wake up, or a quiet dinner while your spouse is on kid duty — either way, it sounds pretty dreamy right now.

Would you ever make a reservation just for yourself? Tell us on our Facebook or Instagram — we want to know if you’d actually do it (or if the idea alone sounds like heaven)! 🍽️