Parisa Imanirad, a cancer researcher from San Francisco, is married and has a wide circle of friends—but she says dining alone gives her time to think or read. During those outings, Imanirad tries not to touch her phone and relishes the silence. "It's like a spa, but a different type," Imanirad says, per the AP. Imanirad isn't alone in her desire to be alone.
- The numbers: In the US, solo dining reservations have risen 29% over the last two years, according to OpenTable. They're up 18% this year in Germany and 14% in the United Kingdom. Japan even has a special term for solo dining: ohitorisama, which means "alone" but with honorifics spoken both before and after the word to make parties of one feel less hesitant.