Japan and much of east Asia also has strong cafeteria culture. Because schools, universities, and large workplaces tend to have cafeterias, it's not uncommon for working people to have cafeteria food for lunch every weekday till retirement.

The key is that cafeterias are considered a cost to be subsidized rather than a profit making activity, which means that cafeterias serve reasonable quality food at good prices rather than barely nutritionally adequate slop prepared by the lowest bidder.

A Japanese friend of mine told me about how she went on exchange to an American university and was excited to try out the cafeteria plan she was forced to buy. She said that she ate there once and it was so awful that she immediately went to the student office to beg for a refund citing a fictional financial emergency.