cafeteria
noun
- food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˌkafəˈtɪə̯.ɹi.ə/ / /ˌkæfəˈtɪ(ə)ɹi.ə/
noun
Etymology: Borrowed from Mexican Spanish cafetería (“coffeehouse”), from cafetera (“coffee maker”), from French cafetière, from café, from Ottoman Turkish قهوه (kahve) (Turkish kahve), from Arabic قَهْوَة (qahwa, “coffee”). Doublet of cafetière.
- A restaurant in which customers select their food at a counter then carry it on a tray to a table to eat.
- A dining area in an institution where meals may be purchased (as above), provided, or brought in from elsewhere.