Gen Z “suffering menu anxiety at restaurants”

[ICTChris]

Yes, hot on the heels of fabric softener and answering the door, it’s another thing that Gen Z are ruining for everyone!

A survey for Prezzo has found that 86% of 18-24 year olds (Gen Z) have experienced anxiety when ordering from a restaurant menu. A third of this cohort said they would ask another diner to speak to the waiting staff for them. Cost and the worry of not finding something they liked in the menu have been attributed to this phenomenon.

Personally I get menu anxiety if I’m in a Prezzo because the food is overpriced shite so I’m with Generation Z here.

Have any P&Bers ever suffered from menu anxiety?

What other staples of life will Gen Z take from us next?

 

[BFTD]

So the story is that young people feel nervous when ordering in restaurants because they don't have much money?

Aye, I can't imagine what that must feel like  

[Melanius Mullarkey]

How was this study conducted? 

"we subjected a set of 18-24 year olds to a menu and then asked them if they were anxious"

What a load of utter shite.  As is Prezzo.

[Silvio Tattiescone]

 

I see the problem. Not enough pictures. 

[Alert Mongoose]

I get anxious at the prices of bottles of wine and also the knowledge that, whatever I order, I'll wish I got the beer battered haddock instead.

[RawB93]

I'm not Gen Z or 18-24 but I get this. Usually scan the menu 3 or 4 times before I even take anything in and I'm never ready when they come back to take my order.

Also if I'm brought the wrong thing or am missing something I don't mention it. It's only if someone else notices and does it on my behalf which feels amazing... 

I also don't answer my door if

1) I'm not expecting a delivery

2) The person hasn't messaged first to say they were coming over

Any unexpected visit is bad news.

I've no idea what anyone's got against fabric softener. Although for the first 3 years of living at my first flat, it was all I "washed" my clothes with coz I had no idea what I was doing. Bottle with "Lenor" on it. That'll do.

[Dan Steele]

24 minutes ago, ICTChris said:

A survey for Prezzo has found that 86% of 18-24 year olds (Gen Z) have experienced anxiety when ordering from a restaurant menu. 

Well, nobody said navigating your way through life would be easy. 

22 hours ago, scottsdad said:

Happy to hear from current/past students and academics on here what worked and what didn't!

Looks like multiple choice isn't an option for assessment choices!

[Michael W]

I sometimes suffer regret when I see other people's food going being delivered to their table and wish I'd ordered that instead. 

Just about every restaurant publishes the menu online, so there's no excuse for turning up and finding there's nothing you like or that the prices are too expensive. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. 

 

[Melanius Mullarkey]

19 minutes ago, Newbornbairn said:

 

I see the problem. Not enough pictures. 

To be fair, the number of choices on that menu is a direct correlation with the number of deliveries from the Brake Brothers lorries.

And with the Z axis (number of microwaves in kitchen).

[Silvio Tattiescone]

I was in a similar place in Caerphilly last week - Casa Mia. Awful. 

[btb]

What comes after Gen-Z - will global warming solve the issue?

Just curious.

[Steve_Wilkos]

The Gen-Z wimps just need a good kicking.

Over-privileged arseholes who have nothing interesting to add to planet earth.

[2426255]

7 minutes ago, btb said:

What comes after Gen-Z - will global warming solve the issue?

Just curious.

Gen-A1

[BFTD]

We really do need a "young people are bad and no good and I don't like them" thread. We could have dozens of these individual ones. Avocado toast lol.

Speaking from experience, the Boomers would love it, and probably every generation before and after them, once they hit middle-age. It's staggering how many people forget the bitter roasting they took from the crusties when they were teenagers.

[Ross.]

9 minutes ago, Steve_Wilkos said:

The Gen-Z wimps just need a good kicking.

Over-privileged arseholes who have nothing interesting to add to planet earth.

They are products of their environment. That means it’s partly your fucking fault.

[Steve_Wilkos]

Just now, Ross. said:

They are products of their environment. That means it’s partly your fucking fault.

Nothing to do with me, lad. 

[Bonksy+HisChristianParade]

I was placed next to a woman at our Christmas meal last week who ‘didn’t like’ any of the starters, and who only ate the roast potatoes from the main course. She basically just had dessert for her dinner. Fussy eaters are genuinely up there with nonces for me as some of the worst people in society.

[Central Belt Caley]

Bring back National Service imo, sort these woke pansies out 

[GHF-23]

9 minutes ago, Bonksy+HisChristianParade said:

I was placed next to a woman at our Christmas meal last week who ‘didn’t like’ any of the starters, and who only ate the roast potatoes from the main course. She basically just had dessert for her dinner. Fussy eaters are genuinely up there with nonces for me as some of the worst people in society.

I found out on my Xmas lunch that I work with a 37 year old father of two who "doesn't do vegetables" (yes you can tell) and a woman who nearly burst in to tears because she didn't get enough pigs in blankets with her Turkey dinner and ordered a side of them separately 

Edited December 19, 2023 by GHF-23

[BFTD]

I genuinely didn't know people felt pressure when ordering in restaurants. Is that why so many people want to know what everyone else is ordering before they'll make a decision themselves? I've known people who would get really annoyed if you wouldn't tell them, so now I feel like a bit of a c**t for dicking them around.

Dunno if this helps, but you're attending a business that exists entirely to make money by pleasing you - it's one of the few occasions in life where people are there to cater to your wishes. There are no wrong decisions, and nobody's judging you for what you eat or drink; they'll barely remember you within five minutes, as they'll serve hundreds of people during their shift. The only thing anyone cares about is that you pay your bill and don't act like a Karen, which doesn't include politely pointing out that they've brought you the wrong thing, or that your food is cold/not prepared as you requested. The emphasis being on "politely".

Edit: fussy eaters are fine so long as they understand it's their problem, and act accordingly. Unfortunately, there are plenty who like to inflict it on everyone else.

Finding a lot of foods repulsive seems common with the neurodivergent too, along with being disgusted by the idea of different foodstuffs touching each other on the plate. People can't control how they feel about these things, but know your own issues and make polite requests. Most restaurants will happily make adjustments and if they refuse, you know where to avoid in future. Unfortunately, this is learned behaviour, so worth bearing in mind if you have a younger colleague who seems like they're acting the c**t; they might just need to see a better way of handling things.

Edited December 19, 2023 by BFTD