Posted on 09/08/2025 4:38:47 PM PDT by Mariner
I used to tease my parents that if they started eating dinner at 4:30 or 5 p.m., it was the first official sign of old age. And because they have a good sense of humor, whenever they would hop out for an early bird special, they would call me from the restaurant to say, “It’s 5 p.m. and we’re having dinner!”
While it’s no surprise that there are plenty of retirees and parents with little kids who dive into their dinners before many people have wrapped up work, that’s starting to shift. Younger people, particularly Gen Z-ers, are getting on board the early train, with some posting about #EarlyDinner on TikTok. “The stereotype around early dinners being for retirees is fading,” Yelp trend expert Tara Lewis tells Yahoo. “These days, a 5 p.m. dinner is just as much for young professionals, wellness-focused diners and casual friend group meet-ups. In many cities, an early reservation is just as desirable as the once-coveted 8 p.m. table.”
That’s the case for Jennifer Mathews, a personal chef and writer whose ideal dinner time is 5 o’clock sharp. “By the time most people are browsing menus at eight, I’m already in pajamas bingeing Netflix,” she tells Yahoo. Do her friends ever tease her about her preference for eating dinner while the sun is still up? “Constantly,” she says. “I’ve been called everything from an 8-year-old to a senior citizen. Apparently, I’ve skipped right over adulthood and gone straight to the early bird special years.”
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
On the job at 7am, lunch at 1130 and dinner at 5.
Going back as far as I can remember.
As an early boomer (1949) we always had dinner at about 5:30. Both of my parents worked.
“On the job at 7am”
Not in Silicon Valley.
Ping
As a Gen Xer (66) we ALWAYS at at 5-5:30, and my 86 year old mom STILL does. Not because she’s 86, but because that’s the time that you eat.
Exactly!
Gen X with Baby Boomer parents, all I had known as a child was a 4:30-5:00 dinner time.
For years, I always timed dinner for 5 PM so I could watch Tucker Carlson as I ate. After he was fired, I switched to Newsmax, and now I watch Rob Finnerty while I eat. However, I try to tune in a few minutes early so I can catch Rob Schmitt’s News from the Left.
5 pm is supper time. Dinner is at noon.
6:30 while we watch jeopardy
My mother was strict about eating as a family, but I’m don’t remember a set time, and my father was never home that early.
As in, born in 1966, or 66 years old? Cause last time I looked anyone 66 years old is a bona fide Boomer.
Z
Breakfast
Dinner
Supper
We close our business at 5:30, no way am I getting dinner on before 6:30. I’d love to close up at five, but customers need enough time to come pick up their cars after THEY get off work
How does anyone eat at five if they have a 9-5 job?
We always ate at 6 when I was a kid. Dad had just enough time to get his boots off and wash up.
My stomach clock goes off at 6:00. So we are definitely eating something by then. Earlier sometimes, but usually 6 on the dot.
“”””Not because she’s 86, but because that’s the time that you eat.””””
Dad always hated one thing about working with me. I ate whenever it worked out. He would go nuts if he wasn’t eating his lunch at noon. Coffee break was at 9:30 AM and 2:30 PM.
Growing up in the 50’s and 60’s, we sat down for supper during the week at the kitchen table exactly at 5 p.m. My mother didn’t work. My father wouldn’t let her. On the weekends, my father did the cooking. He was a better cook than my mother. We sat down at noon exactly on the weekends, at the dining room table.
When we had our place in Fort Lauderdale we usually went out to dinner between 5-5:30. Most places no longer called it “early bird”, it was happy hour. We often just had appetizers and drinks and were home by 7.
Back home in Boston dinner was at 6.
8-8:30 pm. pretty much every day although somewhat later during summer solstice.
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