Celebrating ‘Solo Diners Eat Out Week’

Spice Phongthiengtham, Staff Writer

Whether you’ve been in a situation that forced you to eat alone, or you simply want to enjoy food by yourself, I know exactly what you’ve faced.

Yes, I am talking about that feeling when it seems like all eyes in the restaurant are staring at you, or that feeling of loneliness when you look at other people’s companions and realize you don’t have one with you.

Luckily for us, we are about to have a whole week to celebrate this act of bravery!

Solo Diners Eat Out Week stretches from Feb. 1 through Feb. 7. You might think that eating out alone has no pros, only cons. Au contraire – here’s a list of the benefits you might just discover when making a reservation for one.

1. You can pick the time and place.

We’re all familiar with one of the hardest questions in the world: “Where should we go to eat?” When dining alone, you can just decide on a venue. Whether you’ve struggled to balance cravings for a big juicy cheese burger with a picky significant other who’s on a diet, or you’ve experienced the frustration of suggesting a new Korean barbecue place down the road, only to find out that your friend just became vegan: solo dining removes all these complications.

2. You can skip the hassle of waiting for perpetually late friends.

Eating out alone reclaims the time that you would have spent waiting for your friends, and lets you enjoy your meal that much faster.

3. You can give all your attention to your food.

Tired of gurgling incoherently through mouthfuls of dinner while your companions look on in confusion? Why not just skip the chit-chat and focus on pleasuring your palate?

See?

Eating out alone doesn’t have to be as bad as many people assume. It actually comes with its own set of advantages.

Pro tip: next time you end up eating out alone, look for a place that’s unfamiliar, or that famous local restaurant that you haven’t been to, or even the weird ethnic food that you’ve previously lacked the courage to try.

Ultimately, solo dining means no restrictions. You can be as adventurous, or as familiar, as you want.