'eat-in' originates from the English words 'eat' and 'in', where 'eat' means 'consume food' and 'in' indicates 'inside or within a place'.

'Eat-in' was formed by combining the words 'eat' and 'in' to describe the act of consuming food within a restaurant or cafe.

Initially, it meant 'to consume food within a place', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.