cafeteria

self-service restaurant in which customers select various dishes from an open-counter display. The food is usually placed on a tray, paid for at a cashier’s station, and carried to a dining table by the customer. The modern cafeteria, designed to facilitate a smooth flow of patrons, is particularly well adapted to the needs of institutions—schools, hospitals, corporations—attempting to serve large numbers of people efficiently and inexpensively. In addition to providing quick service, the cafeteria requires fewer service personnel than most other commercial eating establishments.