Automat
An automat was a form of a cafeteria-style restaurant in which simple foods, usually coffee, sandwiches, and other fare such as macaroni and cheese, were served to the clientele by means of coin-operated vending machines. The diner inserted the required number of coins and then slid open a window to remove his meal, which was generally wrapped in waxed paper. The food preparers inserted the product into the back of the machines, which also functioned as a wall between the kitchen and the lobby, which typically had a tile floor.
The automat was developed in the early 1900s, and the first American automat opened in 1902. The automat was brought to New York City in 1912 and gradually became a fixture of popular culture. The most prominent operator of this format was Horn & Hardart. In the United States, this format apparently never spread beyond major northern industrial cities and hence a "trip to the automat" became a virtual necessity for visits "up North" by travellers from southern and rural areas.
The format was threatened by postwar suburban flight and the rise of fast food establishments in the 1950s; by the 1970s their remaining appeal was strictly nostalgic. The last U.S. automat closed in 1991, although the automat food format is still popular in some foreign markets. For example, FEBO stores in The Netherlands still provide a variety of freshly-made burgers, sandwiches, and krokets in vending machines that are back-loaded from a kitchen.
Automats were featured in a few Hollywood movies:
- Easy Living (1937) shows the workings of one.
- in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), Marilyn Monroe sings the song "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" which contains the A kiss may be grand but won't pay the rental on your humble flat or help you at the Automat line.
- in The Apartment (1960), Jack Lemmon says he spent his Christmas evening at an Automat.
- in Ladies' Man (1947), at least according to IMDB
- a Diane Arbus photo Two Ladies at Automat [1]
- an Automat-like restaurant is featured in the 1998 film Dark City.