The world’s first automat was named Quisisana, which opened at 13 Leipziger Straße in Berlin, Germany in 1895.

The first automat in the U.S. was opened June 12, 1902, at 818 Chestnut St. in Philadelphia by Horn & Hardart; Horn & Hardart became the most prominent American Automat chain.

Automats were soon everywhere, offering a quick and reasonably priced way to enjoy some classic comfort foods.

At one time, there were 40 Horn & Hardart automats in New York City alone. The last one closed in 1991. Horn and Hardart converted most of its New York City locations to Burger King.

Automat Kitchen officially opens, representing the next wave of Automat restaurants, but with a few important differences from the original. The automats of old had pre-made foods, ours are all fresh and made-to-order.
They also only accepted nickels for payments when they opened, but we’ll offer a totally cashless and contactless experience instead.