Boomer Vs Gen Z Diners: The Simple Habit Servers Notice

It seems like we're always hearing takes that divide people by generation, often with negative stereotypes that bash Boomers, or mock Gen Z and Millennials (while just forgetting Gen X), and pit them against each other. These snapshot summaries of entire swathes of people based on age bracket alone are wildly overblown, and it shouldn't be assumed that everyone conforms to the cliches about theirs. But we all tend to make generalizations based on our own experience, and one difference that restaurant servers notice between Boomers and Gen Z is that the older diners are more likely to have a conversation with them.

Simply being polite and considerate to the waitstaff helps get better service. But taking the time to converse with them and exchange pleasantries, including asking something like what dishes they particularly enjoy on the menu, puts the interaction on a more friendly level instead of being just strictly business. Gen Z patrons tend not to even say hello and may keep staring at their phone when ordering without looking up, which can come off as dismissive.

Older patrons are also generally more willing to speak up and send back food if they're not happy with it than younger people. It can be done without offending the server, and it's okay to send a bottle of wine back, too. Restaurants actually prefer having the opportunity to address a problem and make it better or offer compensation, rather than being blasted on review sites, which younger generations are more likely to do. And it likely helps with the server's tip, too. 

In addition to not engaging in conversation with servers, young people can have other restaurant behaviors that are more challenging for waitstaff. There's the Gen Z stare – diners of that age give a prolonged stare when spoken to or asked what they'd like to order. They may also be more likely to ask questions about the menu without reading it through first, or take a long time mulling what they want as the server waits. One Redditor who stated they'd waited tables for 20 years wrote of younger people: "They don't know what they want[;] they have 80 questions and no money."

Some Gen Zers admit to having "menu anxiety" — being stressed about ordering for reasons like having to select what they want from a big menu, fear they won't like their choice, or concern about the prices. They may get so nervous that they let other people they're with go before them to see what they tell the server they want, or even ask someone else to order for them.

One of the reasons for Gen Z's restaurant behavior can be that they don't want to take up too much of the busy waitstaff's time with conversation, or they may think it's invasive to ask servers questions about themselves. The digital natives are also more used to using their phones for everyday transactions and communication, often over real-life interactions.