Cafeteria

A cafeteria is a type of restaurant in which there is no table service. Instead, there are food serving counters/stalls, either in a line or allowing arbitrary walking paths, and customers take food they require as they walk along, placing them on a tray, and pay at the check-out (buffet system). For some food items there may be the system that while at the counter one orders it and it is served by personnel behind the counter.

Other names

A cafeteria in a US military installation is known as either a chow hall, a mess hall, or, more correctly, a dining facility. Some monasteries and boarding schools refer to their cafeteria as a refectory. Students often refer to cafeterias as lunchrooms, though breakfast as well as lunch is often eaten there. Cafeterias serving university dormitories are sometimes called dining halls. A food court is a type of cafeteria found in many shopping malls and airports.

Related Topics:
US military - Monasteries - Boarding schools - Food court - Shopping mall - Airport

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