As nouns the difference between pantry and cafeteria

is that pantry is a small room, closet, or cabinet usually located in or near the kitchen, dedicated to food storage and/or storing kitchenware. Since the pantry is not typically temperature-controlled (unlike a refrigerator or root cellar), the foods stored in a pantry are usually shelf-stable staples such as grains, flours, and preserved foods while cafeteria is a restaurant in which customers select their food at a counter then carry it on a tray to a table to eat.