Cafeteria Design Ideas

Whether it’s a school, hospital or office, cafeterias are essential in a number of facilities. Years ago the old lunchroom or dining hall experience was plain: Get in a crowded line for a hot meal and eat at a large table with strangers. However, new trends like grab-and-go dining are changing the experience. To meet these current demands, here are some helpful cafeteria design ideas and layouts that you should consider.

Ensure Proper Spacing

The serving area in a cafeteria can have a lot of lines and stations that are prone to crowding. However, you still should change the flow a bit to help the flow of foot traffic. For starters, have checkout, serving and to-go stations carefully separated and spread out instead of bundling them close by. You also can help reduce crowing by keeping lines organized with boundary markers or crowd-control stanchions.

Add a Mini Mart & Takeout Station

The trend toward grab-and-go marketplaces and takeout has really taken center stage in the last few years. Even prior to the pandemic, not everyone wanted to eat their meal in the dining hall. Some people prefer taking food back to their desk or dorm room. Also, there are occasions where folks like to buy a quick snack and drink for the road.

So why not dedicate some space to accommodate this trend? In addition to the proper spacing methods we mentioned above, below are some features to consider:

• Online, phone and kiosk-based ordering – By accepting orders over the phone, online and with self-ordering kiosks, it can help reduce long lines and wait times. You might need to upgrade your POS system to process these orders effectively.


• Contactless checkout – Let patrons order and pay online via an app or website. For corporate, college and hospital cafeteria designs, this helps cut down on long lines.


• Deli cases and coolers – These are perfect for holding prepackaged salads, sandwiches and more. You can also stock them with a variety of staples, a rotating selection of new items or designate each one to a specific food category.

Make Seating Smaller & Safer

With patrons preferring more conversational settings or to-go options, consider reconfiguring tables in the dining area. Think about removing large banquet tables and switching to small bistro and dining tables. These promote a more intimate setting where diners can either chat privately or work closely on projects together while they eat. Additionally, offering a variety of seating can help diners find the perfect spot for a break between classes or meetings. And don’t forget to incorporate function, yet comfortable, seating.

Update Serving Stations for Ease and Convenience  

With takeout and grab-and-go marketplaces becoming much more common, serving stations should be significantly reduced or changed. The following tips can help you modify and reduce both self- and standard-serving areas:

• Salad bars and buffets – Opt for salad bars and buffet stations that can hold multiple options for diners to choose from. Double check that self-serve salad bars, buffets and other serving stations are equipped with proper sneeze guards to maintain cleanliness.


• Touchless beverage stations – Offer hot coffee or cold fountain drinks with minimal contact required. These are usually activated when the customer presses their clean cup against a lever to dispense their desired drink. For instance, some models reduce wasted product by providing precise pours.