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This has been a thing for decades at my grocery store.

banks have classically had the "roped queue" as a single line that serves multiple tellers for decades
The one line method preserves the "first come first serve" custom which is the fairest way to serve people. 
With two lines, one will be faster than the other and so some people get lucky while others get unlucky.  People usually don't like to gamble with their time in line.  If they want to gamble, they'll go to the casino. >

The one long line looks more intimidating, but it is definitely better.  That line moves fast, and even if someone has a big order or something else that slows down the transaction, the other registers keep on going pulling from the one line.
I wish more places did this. >

No.  With one line one person slowing down a register doesn't slow down the line. >

why are you sick of this? what problems do you face by waiting in one line that disperses into multiple registers vs. having multiple registers with independent lines? >


it seems to have been created in the last couple years

This has been a thing for decades at my grocery store.
It stops the frustration of getting in a short line, only to watch every other line go faster.  Or switching lines, just to watch the line you left go faster.
Everyone in one line, then the next person goes to the next available register.  This ensures that the next person in line gets helped next, instead of leaving it to luck of the draw.