Evil Genius FAQ

Mess Hall:
  Your minions eat here to recover endurance during the day.  You don't need a
  huge one, but it should be at least 4x??, since the counters minions eat 
  from need a 4x2 access space.  You'll want to put a time clock in here and 
  keep it at 1 green at least, the counters you get in the beginning are 
  useless unless staffed.  Since it's a popular room, you may want to keep 
  some 'impressive loot' in a mess hall near the back of your base.  They 
  take up 1 square plus the 4 around it, so if you leave a bunch of room 
  open when you design the mess hall, you'll have room later to stash stuff.

  Mess halls are also great for putting near the entrance of your base.  This
  room becomes available after you capture & interrogate the maid.

  Counter - Minions eat from these
  Mess Hall counter - Same as counter, but can be used as a torture device
    This increases the loyalty of all minions who watch, and since they go to
    the mess hall a lot more than the armory, it's handy.
  Salad Bar - Weaker than a counter, but requires no staff to man it.
    Automats are better than salad bars, but still not as good as a counter.