What is the cafeteria food survey form template?
A workplace canteen or school cafeteria works when people choose to eat there. A short, regular survey tells catering teams which dishes and options people want, where dietary needs aren't being met, and whether price, queues or seating are pushing people elsewhere.
This template asks who is responding and how often they buy food, with a follow-up for people who rarely or never use it to find out what stops them. It rates eight aspects of the food, from taste and freshness to healthy and vegetarian or vegan options, and asks about dietary requirements and how well they're catered for.
A third page covers prices, typical queue times, service and seating, and interest in reusable containers. It finishes with an overall rating, one change that would make the biggest difference, and an optional invitation to join a tasting panel. Each response is saved as a PDF in your FileIt vault.
- Best for
- Workplace canteens, staff restaurants, school and university cafeterias, contract caterers
- Filled in by
- Employees, students, staff and visitors
- Time to complete
- About 4 minutes
- Includes
- Usage and barriers, 8-row food rating grid, dietary follow-ups, price and queue questions, 7-row service grid and overall rating
Who uses a cafeteria food survey form?
- A termly or quarterly canteen satisfaction survey
- Checking a new menu or catering contract
- Finding out why staff don't use the staff restaurant
- Understanding how well dietary and allergy needs are met
- Recruiting volunteers for a tasting panel
- Gathering evidence before a canteen refurbishment
Questions on this cafeteria food survey form
20 questions over 4 pages · includes conditional questions, multiple pages, ratings.
1 How you use the cafeteria
- Are you…* An employee · A student · Teaching or support staff · A visitor or contractor
- Which site or canteen?
- How often do you buy food here?* Most days · 1–2 times a week · A few times a month · Rarely or never
- What stops you using it more?* asked only when it applies Price · Queues or waiting time · Not enough choice · Food quality · Nothing for my diet · Opening times · I bring my own food · Not enough seating
- What do you usually buy? Breakfast · Hot lunch · Sandwiches or salads · Dinner or evening meal · Snacks · Hot drinks · Cold drinks
2 Food & choice
- How would you rate the food?* Very poor · Poor · Fair · Good · Very good · Don't know / N/A
- Do you have any dietary requirements?*
- Which apply to you?* asked only when it applies Vegetarian · Vegan · Halal · Kosher · Gluten-free · Dairy-free · Nut allergy · Other allergy or intolerance
- How well are your requirements catered for?* asked only when it applies Well — I have a good choice · Somewhat — limited choice · Poorly — I often can't find anything
- Is allergen and ingredient information clear? Yes · Sometimes · No · I haven't looked
- Dishes or cuisines you'd like to see on the menu
3 Price, service & space
- How do you find the prices?* Good value · Fair · A bit expensive · Too expensive
- How long do you usually wait to be served at your busiest time?* Under 5 minutes · 5–10 minutes · 10–15 minutes · More than 15 minutes
- How would you rate the following?* Very poor · Poor · Fair · Good · Very good · Don't know / N/A
- Would you use reusable cups or containers if offered?
4 Overall
- Overall, how satisfied are you with the cafeteria?*
- What one change would make the biggest difference?
- Would you join a tasting panel or follow-up chat?
- Your name asked only when it applies
- Email* asked only when it applies
The cafeteria food survey form, page by page
1 How you use the cafeteria
Respondents say whether they're an employee, student, staff member or visitor, name the site or canteen (optional), and say how often they buy food there. Anyone who answers 'rarely or never' is asked what stops them, such as price, queues, choice, quality, nothing for their diet, opening times or bringing their own food. Everyone can tick what they usually buy, from breakfast to hot drinks.
2 Food & choice
A grid rates taste, freshness, temperature, portion size, variety across the week, healthy options, vegetarian and vegan options, and presentation, from very poor to very good, with a 'Don't know / N/A' column for people who rarely eat there.
A required yes/no asks about dietary requirements. A yes reveals a checklist (vegetarian, vegan, halal, kosher, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut allergy, other allergy or intolerance, or another need) and a question on how well those needs are catered for. Everyone is asked whether allergen and ingredient information is clear, and can suggest dishes or cuisines.
3 Price, service & space
Respondents rate prices from good value to too expensive and say how long they usually wait at the busiest time. A second grid rates staff friendliness, speed of service, cleanliness of the serving area and the seating, finding somewhere to sit, payment options and opening hours, again with a 'Don't know / N/A' column. A final question asks whether they'd use reusable cups or containers.
4 Overall
An overall star rating is required, followed by an optional box for the one change that would make the biggest difference. People who'd join a tasting panel or follow-up chat can leave their name and email.
Make the template yours
- Change the site question to a dropdown of your canteens
- Add questions about a specific outlet, such as a coffee bar or grab-and-go fridge
- Adjust the dietary list to match what you label on your menus
- Add a question rating this week's specials or a new menu
- Set a closing date for a survey fortnight
- Put a QR code on tables, trays and the till
Tips for a better cafeteria food survey form
- Use the survey alongside, not instead of, your formal allergy and dietary request process
- Run it at different meal times so breakfast and evening users are heard
- Share what's changing as a result — a new dish named from a suggestion gets noticed
- Look closely at answers from people who rarely use the cafeteria; they show what would bring new customers
- Compare queue answers with your till data for the same times
- Keep the core questions the same so you can compare before and after a menu change
Every response becomes a PDF in your vault
Each response is saved as a PDF in your FileIt vault, in the folder you choose. Responses are anonymous unless someone volunteers for a tasting panel.
Export everything from the Responses table to a CSV to compare ratings by site, respondent type or month, and to collect every dish suggestion in one place.
- Start from this template. It opens in the FileIt Forms designer — change any question, add pages, set the rules for when questions appear.
- Share it. Turn on a public link, or send it to people by email, each with their own link. They don’t need a FileIt account.
- Get the answers as PDFs. Each response is saved as a PDF in the vault folder you choose, with uploaded files attached — and listed in a Responses table you can export to CSV.
Cafeteria food survey form: frequently asked questions
Is this template free?
Yes. It's included in the FileIt Forms app on every account, including the free plan, and you can edit, add or remove any question.
Do respondents need a FileIt account?
No. Anyone with the form's link can respond without signing up or signing in.
Is the survey anonymous?
Yes, unless someone volunteers for a tasting panel or follow-up chat and leaves their name and email.
Can this replace our allergy request process?
No. It asks how well dietary needs are catered for in general. Individual allergy or medical diet requests should go through your own process, such as a dietary requirements form.
Can we use it in a school?
Yes. Edit the respondent options and wording for students. For younger pupils, consider a shorter version and check your school's policy on surveying children.
Can we compare several canteens?
Yes. Respondents name their site, and you can group the exported CSV by that answer, or make one copy of the form per site.
Can we close it after a set period?
Yes. Set a closing date or maximum number of responses in the form's settings.
Can our contract caterer see the results?
You can export the responses to a CSV or share the PDFs. Add their email to notifications if they should hear about each response.