Hostel in Rome and Free Dinner - eviltoast

Hi. I haven’t got any chance to ask this question when I’m in Rome back in 2019.

I’m from Global South so even though I’m not youth anymore I’d stay in a youth hostel (you know the one with bunk-bed thing, right?) because that’s all i can afford. Somehow these €25-30 Hostel are giving away free dinner. What i can imagine is that the hostel already made thin profit due to the price yet they are able to do this.

Can anyone explain if this part of culture in Rome? Because i didn’t get the same warm atmosphere when I’m in Milano and Genoa.

Just to make it clear, i stay in two different Hostel on two seperate occasions and those two Hostel in Rome giving away free dinner.

Anyway, what I admire is that the free dinner thing really bring people together, people from different country sitting together in one huge table asking each other questions, you know just to get to know each other. And after dinner all the people from the hostel including some staff are all went out hanging out together at a local bar. From that point i notice that me and all the people there are not really different, maybe physically different but the way we think not much different, i think we are all good people.