All hail the death of the awkward silence, as one London venue has grown so bored of inept chit-chat that it is helping customers with conversation starters.
The Yards Covent Garden is launching “Conversation menus” to avoid cringeworthy moments and awkward silences in situations such as a first date or an awkward family reunion.
In what might be the most British thing we’ve ever heard of, four different menus will be on offer: for first dates, long-term relationships, a meal with your best mates and a family gathering.
The shopping, dining and wellness destination has teamed up with The School of Life, an educational platform that offers a variety of programs and resources to help people learn, heal and grow, to make the menus.
They will be available every Thursday from May 25 until the end of June in select venues in The Yards such as Badiani, Miscusi, Guru Guru, and Stanfords.
Joelle Fry, Place & Marketing Manager from The Yards, said: “We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with The School of Life in launching conversation menus. Our recent survey revealed that 80 per cent of Londoners would take advantage of conversation prompts, and conversation menus offer this whilst getting to know the other person on a deeper level.
“Anxiety is eliminated, creating a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere that fosters meaningful connections. Whether you are meeting someone for the first time or have known them for years, the menus provide an excellent opportunity to deepen relationships without the fear of awkwardness.”
The first dates menu includes questions such as “list your top three worries in life at the moment”, while the BFFs menu asks, ‘”name something you deeply appreciate about everyone around the table”.
Questions will be categorised into starters, main course, and dessert.
The Yards and The School of Life came up with the idea for the menus after collating data that showed we are a nation of overthinkers.
Their research revealed that the majority of Londoners — a whopping 92 per cent — have rehearsed a conversation before a meet-up. Some 88 per cent said they had pre-prepared talking points to ensure that conversation flowed well.
Almost three in five (59 per cent) said they had even cancelled a date because they were worried about running out of things to talk about.
