New platform Joining Tables launches to tackle the loneliness epidemic — one table at a time

London, UK 28th July  — Joining Tables, a new platform designed to connect people who want genuine human connection, launches today — born from a single act of kindness on New Year's Eve that changed everything for its founder.
Martin Baker, CEO and founder of Joining Tables, was travelling solo in a hotel restaurant on New Year's Eve, facing the prospect of welcoming midnight by himself, when a stranger approached and asked if he would like to join a table of other solo travellers for the meal. That single invitation — simple, human, and quietly profound — became the spark for an entirely new kind of social platform.
Joining Tables allows people — whether travelling solo for pleasure or business or simply living alone at home — to find others nearby who are open to sharing a meal, a conversation, and a genuine connection. No swiping, no dating, no forced networking. Just people choosing to spend a parcel of time with others.
"That stranger didn't just save my New Year's Eve — they showed me what was missing for millions of people. We travel further than ever, live in bigger cities than ever, and yet loneliness is at epidemic levels. Joining Tables exists to rebuild what we've lost: the simple pleasure of sharing a table and time with other human beings.”
— Martin Baker, CEO, Joining Tables

Addressing a growing crisis
The timing of the launch could not be more urgent. Loneliness has been declared a global health epidemic, with the UK's own Loneliness Minister commissioned to address what the government describes as one of the greatest public health challenges of our time. Meanwhile, solo dining is surging: OpenTable data shows a 62% rise in solo restaurant reservations in recent years, with 60% of consumers now regularly dining alone at restaurants — yet nearly half say loneliness remains their biggest barrier to doing so.
Solo travel tells the same story. Millions of people explore the world alone each year, often seeking connection but finding no structured way to find it — beyond the luck of a stranger's invitation.

At the same time we are seeing hospitality venues closing as they struggle too encourage visitors.

How it works
Users join Joining Tables and can either host or join a table or event. It can be in any form, a chat over coffee, a shared walk in a park, a game of paddle. The platform allows users to find with others nearby — at home or abroad — who are equally open to connection. It is free from the transactional dynamics of dating apps and the professional pressure of networking platforms.

Joining Tables also allows venues to host tables, encouraging people to visit a quieter times.

Visiting a pub, cafe or restaurant can be a lonely experience if you are solo, but you are much more likely to enter a venue if you know that it has a Joining Table where you will not be alone, but with others who want to interact.


The premise is simple: Join a stranger, leave a friend
Availability
Joining Tables launches today and is available via joiningtables.com. The platform welcomes solo diners, solo travellers, and anyone who believes that sharing time with strangers and friends can change your day — or your life.

About Joining Tables
Joining Tables is a social platform connecting people who want human connection. Founded in 2026 by Martin Baker, the platform was inspired by a stranger's kindness on New Year's Eve and a belief that loneliness is a solvable problem.
Media enquiries
Martin Baker, CEO
Hello@joiningtables.com

07751103528
joiningtables.com