Food and beverage trends in NYC have been seeing the successful reemergence of automat-style dining in several areas but with touches of modern makeover. Automat restaurants are now offering take-out and food delivery services by way of digital ordering systems capable of processing credit card and other non-cash payment methods. Even the menus have evolved as the available choices now include gourmet dishes, fusion cuisine food and vegan options.

Just to be clear, food and beverage automats are different from the conventional snacks and beverage vending machines, which in contrast, do not involve fresh preparations and on-site cooking.

How Do Automats Work?

In an automat-restaurant, customers choose their food preferences from the selections kept behind glass windows and pay for their order using the touchscreen or their smartphones. While the resurgence of automats came around during the pandemic in line with the concept of off-premise dining and contactless services, many modern automat-restaurants now offer a small dining area as a service to customers. Still, most automats remain focused on offering food and drinks for takeout and delivery.

A Quick Glimpse at the Rise and Fall of Automat-Style Restaurants in the U.S

Automat-restaurants actually originated in Germany at the turn of the 20th century. American businessmen Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart introduced the dining style in Philadelphia in 1902 as a symbol of progress in the United State of America. Thereafter and for several decades, the innovation immediately saw rapid expansion across the country.

However, in the 1950s, McDonald’s and Burger King introduced the convenience of providing customers with portable hamburger meals that catered to the changing preferences and demands of Americans. Horn and Hardart bought into the highly successful franchises which they installed as replacements for some of their automats.

The fall of the automat chains began in the 1960s as other fast food businesses emerged to meet the rising consumer demands for different varieties of fast and affordable meals. Eventually in 1991, Horn and Hardart closed down the last automat, one of the many they operated in New York City.