Abstract: In a food delivery system for restaurants, a conveyor tray adapted to receive a food container and to move along an overhead conveyor track from a central station along a loop including a series of delivery stations at patrons tables, an elevator including an elevator tray at each of the stations, trip mechanism at each station operable when actuated to remove the food container from the conveyor tray to the elevator tray at the station, the trip mechanisms being selectively actuated from a central location, mechanism operable by the reception of the food container on the elevator tray to lower said elevator tray to a position within reach of the patron, and to reset the trip mechanism, and mechanism operable by removal of the food container from the elevator tray to re-elevate the tray into operative relation with the conveyor.