Where did the cafeteria first originate in the United States?

The origin of the cafeteria in the United States is attributed to two different historical contexts depending on the definition of the service model.

While some sources note that the concept of the cafeteria originated in San Francisco during the 1849 gold rush as a self-service establishment featuring food displayed on counters, other food-industry historians identify a specific institutional milestone later in the century. In 1891, the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Kansas City, Missouri, established what is often considered the first formal cafeteria. This version was designed to provide low-cost meals for working women and was modeled after a Chicago luncheon club that had already begun practicing elements of self-service.12

Following these early developments, the cafeteria model became a widespread method for providing efficient, inexpensive meals in schools, hospitals, and corporate settings shortly after the turn of the 20th century.2