Is there anything worse than the idea that you might have to eat in the school cafeteria? It’s a dreaded thought, but today’s school cafeterias aren’t the long, hard bench seats of yesterday. These days you can find pub tables, coffee stations, even bean bag chairs in the cafeteria, making it one of the coolest places to be. Wondering how to inject that same feel of safety, calm, and fun into your school’s cafeteria? Here are a few more tips that can help.

• Use Every Inch of Space: The space is already there, so why not use it? If there’s a spot where an automated drink station might fit, add it in. Have a space next to a booth for coat hook? Go ahead and add those too. Make certain your design makes use of all of the space available to you.
• Balance Durability with Style: Administrators often look toward durability over everything else, and while durability means cost effectiveness, it can also mean discarding style. Don’t do that to your students. As you choose seating, flooring, and more, find the perfect balance between the two. You clearly don’t want to replace everything in two years, but you do want to find something that doesn’t feel quite so industrial. 
• Get Creative: Looking for some real insight into perfection? Ask your students. Consider a design contest where the winner gets to participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony. You could even provide your math and art teachers with a curriculum where students can learn something while considering the layout of the new cafeteria. Students know what they want, but they don’t always know what’s possible. Look to them for a bit of structured guidance, and you may uncover ideas you’d never considered. 

The school cafeteria can be a great place to get together, chat with friends, and reconnect, given the right surroundings.