Source: https://www.6sqft.com/horn-and-harda...ing-on-a-dime/n the 1930s, ‘40s, and ‘50s Automats were a New York City dining staple for a hard-working lunch crowd, a modernist icon for a boundless machine-age future. At their height there were over three dozen in the city, serving 800,000 people a day. And nearly everyone who actually experienced Automats in their heyday says the same thing: They never forgot the thrill of being a kid at the Automat.
Created by Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart in Philadelphia in 1902, coin-operated Automats were lovingly-designed Art Deco temples to modern efficiency. Sleek steel and glass vending machine grids displayed sandwiches and main dishes as well as desserts and sides, each in their own little boxes, square and even, clean and well-lit. You put a coin in the slot, opened the door and removed your food—which was reportedly quite good, as the founders took terrific pride in their craft.
Some of you may recall, I have a mild fascination with automats. I ate in them a couple of times as a young kid and I'm one of those who still remember them. It wasn't quite a meal with the Jetsons, but that was a cartoon and this was real life. It seemed like the sort of thing that was science fiction made real.
Now, with social distancing and such, I wonder if they could be brought back. Sure, today we can throw something in the microwave or have something delivered to us, but sometimes one is out and about and just wants to have a place to grab coffee and a snack (perhaps without the Starbucks setting).
What do you guys think? If the food was good, as it was in the original automats, and it were convenient to someplace where you might be walking or biking around (these were big city conveniences), would you go to one? I'm sure with modern automation the process could be improved so you weren't handling cash or having to open little doors with your hands.