Application of Queuing Theory in a Canteen

School cafeterias are places that provide essential food for students to meet their nutritional needs and, consequently, maintain their energy levels for better study performance. Due to the short break times and occasional peaks in demand, the service in the establishment often results in the creation of a queue. This study aimed to investigate, understand, and propose improvements to the queue system in the service of a school cafeteria in the eastern part of São Paulo. After the analysis, it was possible to identify the phenomena that influence queue creation and test an improvement hypothesis through discrete event simulation in the Arena software. With the data obtained after the tests, a reduction in the queue and beneficial parameters for the service were observed, by proposing trough simulation the alteration of the service operation, using the two available employees for only service work during peak periods, it was possible to notice that even in low-complexity systems, simulation can provide valuables information for management.