The Last Automat

Horn and Hardart's last Automat. My son Adam buying his own meal. Whenever I took my children to Manhattan and asked where they wanted to eat, it was allways "The Automat"
For those interested, I also posted stillshots of the inside of the automat on bubbleshare under my screenname there of greenherring (no numeral following) Those shots were taken around early 1984

Category:

Education

Tags:

• automat
• Manhattan

[eggnogdog]

There's something surreal about this. Really cool. So is there a change slot, I couldn't really tell?

[greenherring2]

Yes.  Each little cubby had a change slot. The price for the item was posted. If you needed change you could go to the cashier.The cashier was there for the cafeteria portion of the operation. You can get a better view from the interior photos I posted on bubbleshare a year ago under the neme greenherring

[greenherring2]

For those who might be interested, I posted some photos of the inside of the Automat on Bubbleshare a year ago. It gives you a better idea of what the place looked like. I think I titled it as The Last Horn&Hardart Automat. On Bubbleshare I am simply greenherring.

[Ktjane31381]

Can't believe this is such a novelty. Is it really that fascinating?

[greenherring2]

Ask anyone who went there as a kid. Ask a former starving writer or artist who barely scraped up enough change to eat there. I used to know one who dumped endless free crackers into his soup.

[hdewijze]

These automat's are still used in North-West Europe.

[greenherring2]

That might explain it. My father must have been familiar with them from business travel in NW Europe. When we immigrated from Germany in 1955, he marched us to an Automate to eat our first meal here in New York

[newyorkernut3]

Having gone to NYC Automats since the 1940's itwas a good and grateful steady job to work for The H. & H. Company.How many people

do any of us see preparing meals in any restaurant.Workers then did not feel exploited in those days.One working there also were given a discount on the food for their own use.

Food for 5 cents for anybody black,white or

purple in ancestry was really fair.

What's wrong with nostalgia for one who

actually lived there and then?

You trying to censor good memories?

[Annamazing1]

Well, that brings back memories.....Not sure why it was such a big deal to go to the automat....but it sure was! Everything just looked so good behind the glass and it was neat, expecially as a little kid, to be able to pick out your own food. Thanks for the walk down memory lane.

[OofusTwillip]

@jfilesbooks - What's priceless is that McDonald's has now brought in the Automat concept to its Japanese locations, by eliminating the counter staff. This is because McDonald's claims that it's a whole 5 seconds faster if people do their own order entry & payment at a machine---much as we can now do at movie theatres.

So the Automat concept isn't dead; it's just being hijacked by huge multi-billion-dollar corporations to increase their already obscene profits.

[drumpointer]

I remember the automat, especially the one near grand Central. I was born (1950) and grew up in NYC.

It was absolutely no big deal to go but it was fun, sort of. Memorable was the woman who dished out the change in a square booth (room for several changers in the booth with 4 sides) She just threw the money without counting it into the marble counter trays. Always correct. Favorite things to eat was the macaroni and cheese and the beans and franks. Coffee from the lion's mouth always fun.

[MowgliX]

@awaseniu Yes, and bring it over here to Eurpe too! The automats disappeared in the late 1960s and very early 1970s. And what did we get in return? McDonald's, Burger King, KFC... Sticky, smelly, greasy, fatty, salty food with brown sugared water. YUK!

[whoo689]

Sweet! I love self-service. I do everything I can to avoid having to deal with waiting on people and shit. I use the self-checkout at the store, ATMs for cash, order delivery food like pizza online, email a lot or call people on my cell, shop online, etc.

Sure, some may decry my habits for "being afraid to deal with people", but I'm a very independent person. I like doing this shit on my own and at my own pace. Thank God for the digital age.

[GourmetReviewer23]

actually, there are 15 automats in the U.S

[awaseniu]

BRING BACK THE HORN AND HARDART!!!

[Chick6517]

this was a really great video it was totally what i expected and i have to say that you met the standards of what i expected to see.

[howfakeareyou]

theyve brought this concept back..but it's nice to see some history..never saw those where i'm from.

[TeamUnicorn]

DONT CLICK HERE