The very first automat opened in Berlin in 1895, with the Horn and Hardart company bringing the automat to the U.S. in the early 20th century — first to Philadelphia in 1902, and then to New York City in 1912. By the mid-1970s, when Horn & Hardart began converting many of its locations into franchises of such fast-food giants as Burger King and Arby’s, its automats had lost so much of their luster and Cafeterias appealed to New Yorkers looking for cleanliness, and those looking for an inexpensive, solitary meal turned to one unusual restaurant — the automat. Horn & Hardarts’ innovative eateries — requiring a handful of nickels — were regular features on the New York City streetscape. Horn & Hardart popularized fresh drip-brewed coffee. Prior to the Automat, coffee was often harsh and bitter, boiled and clarified with eggshells. The Automat’s smooth aromatic brew flowed regally from ornate brass spigots in the shape of dolphin heads. In their heyday, Automats sold over 90 million cups of their fresh-brewed coffee each year. In 1912, the partners began building restaurants in New York, starting with an Automat in Times Square. H&H Automats were particularly popular during the Depression era. By the early 1950s, there were a total of 157 Horn & Hardart restaurants with Automats in Philadelphia and New York serving more than half a million patrons per day. Published Dec. 31, 2022, 5:00 a.m. ET. Frank Joseph Hardart Sr. and Joseph V. Horn, the Philadelphia restaurateurs who gave America its first Automat in 1902, wanted customers to enjoy good food at great prices in a setting graced with beauty. Thus the signature Horn & Hardart restaurant and company headquarters in Center City featured not only Directed by Lisa Hurwitz, The Automat (2021) explores the history behind Horn & Hardart as well as the Automat’s cultural influence. It playfully starts with comedian Mel Brooks pondering the significance of making this documentary and his own personal memories of Automats being “one of the greatest inventions and insane centers of paradise Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart also popularized New Orleans-style coffee in Northeast America, and their specialized brew was among the most popular items served at their automat restaurants. If you were to dine at a Horn and Hardart automat in the first half of the 20th century, their menu would feature: Beverages. Orange juice; Milk; Hot chocolate Eventually, Horn & Hardart faced stiff competition from the rise of the fast food industry. Some of the Automats were converted to Burger Kings and Arby's as part of the company's holdings. On April 8, 1991, the last of New York City's automats closed on 200 East 42nd Street . uNN7.

horn and hardart automat menu