die Kantine

Die Kantine refers to a place where employees, soldiers, students, or other group members can eat meals—usually subsidized or low-cost. It's common in office buildings, factories, hospitals, and universities. Origin: Borrowed from French cantine, which comes from Italian cantina (meaning cellar or wine cellar), originally from Latin canta (container). It entered German via military usage in the 18th century to describe soldiers’ mess halls.