cafeteria tray
Food service platform
A cafeteria tray is the flat, rectangular tray used to carry food and dishes in cafeterias and self-service dining halls.
Typically made of plastic or fiberglass with raised edges to prevent spills, it slides along serving rails while diners select their meals.
The term sometimes appears in nostalgic or institutional contexts: I balanced my cafeteria tray and looked for an empty table.
- lunchMidday meal
- lunch ladySchool meal server
- plasticCapable of being molded
- rectangularFour right angles
- slideSmooth continuous movement
stack · food · high school · school · hospital · plate · utensils · napkin · compartments · carry · spill · slippery · brown · beige · institutional · food court · meal plan · line
- schoolteachers, classrooms, classes, student, grades
- school lunchpizza, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, chocolate milk, french fries
- trayssalver
dining service and formality
cafeteria traysilver service
Formal tableside food presentation
table service · fine dining · butler service · à la carte · room service