"Boss, Please Stop"... Even in the 'Land of Long Lunches,' Generation Z Is Changing

Changing Lunch Habits Among Young Professionals in France
29% of Employees Under 25 Regularly Eat Alone

The trend of eating alone, known as "honbap," is spreading among Generation Z office workers (born in the late 1990s to early 2010s) in France.

On February 24 (local time), the British daily The Times reported that the lunchtime scene among French office workers is now markedly different across generations. Traditionally, French people emphasize sharing meals with family or colleagues, take long lunch breaks, and value conversation at the table. However, this culture is quickly fading among Generation Z.

An office worker is eating alone at the office.

In traditional restaurants in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, middle-aged office workers are still seen enjoying leisurely lunches with steak and wine. In contrast, at restaurants located in nearby startup clusters, it is common to find young office workers eating quickly and alone. Most young employees are also opting for water or beer instead of wine.

According to a survey by digital meal voucher provider Openeat, 29% of employees under the age of 25 regularly eat lunch alone. The rate is 22% for those aged 25 to 34, 16% for those aged 35 to 49, and 12% for those aged 50 and over, indicating that the younger the generation, the higher the proportion of people eating alone. The length of lunch breaks has also decreased significantly. Compared to 20 years ago, when the average lunch lasted 90 minutes, currently 45% of office workers spend less than 30 minutes on lunch. Among remote workers, this proportion rises to 52%. Only 11% of respondents go out to eat at a restaurant every day, and about half of them do not drink alcohol with their meals.

The main reasons for this change are the rise of personalized lifestyles and social fatigue. As individual schedules and personal rhythms become more important, people are rejecting the unspoken pressure to eat together. In addition, the belief that silent meals are mentally more relaxing than dealing with the stress of social interactions has also contributed to the increase in people choosing to eat alone. Other factors include the normalization of delivery and takeout, making it more efficient to eat alone, and the perception that shared meals are not so much about eating but are rather social events or sources of energy drain.

The Times analyzed that Generation Z's choice to eat alone should not be seen as selfishness, but as an attempt to escape excessive socialization. Rather than a collapse of tradition, it is a self-protection strategy for the "age of relationship fatigue."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.