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I remember going to them a few times as a child, although my memories in general are as faded as old newspaper photos at this point. This would probably be late '50s and perhaps a year or so beyond, being brought there by my folks, I vaguely remember being with my grandmother too. This would be on occasions that we would take the subway to Manhattan in our "good clothes" for some reason: the Tree at Rockefeller Center, Mass at St Pat's Cathedral... something cheap or free.
They were busy and noisy, I recall. I was fascinated walking around, looking at all the little windows with a plate of food locked behind it: soup, sandwiches, desserts and I could choose and pay myself. The only dish I have a clear memory of is getting a small bowl of baked beans that was in a small but heavy commercial-style bowl (to prevent chipping & breakage) and was steaming hot. Putting a coin in the slot myself and grabbing it from the window was exciting to a 6-7-8(?) yo and carrying the tray to our table.
If I watched the little windows after people took their tuna sandwich or whatever, I would catch a glimpse of someone's face behind the window quickly shoving in another sandwich and disappearing. For a kid it was a fascinating place to eat compared to all those boring restaurants where i had to sit still and be quiet forever it seemed.
I guess a few were still around when I was a teen but they were almost invisible in the age of fast-food burgers. They disappeared quietly, like the lightning bugs we used see back then too but no more.
They had been around since the 19th century, and mostly disappeared 30 years ago. Now automats are coming back, with some 21st century improvements.
The food vending machines are a piece of nostalgia for many, with about 150 around the world at one point. Using one was easy enough: Simply put in some coins, and open a small door that food would pop out from.
The new automat in Jersey City's Newport neighborhood is much more tech-friendly, but is still the same basic premise. To order, customers enter their order into an app or a kiosk. Their name will appear on screen, and a numbered delivery box will light up when the food is ready. Once the customer types "open" on their phone, the door will do so and the food can be taken away.
There is one change from the classic automat: Back then, food could have been sitting around for hours. Not so with this new form, as none of the food — ranging from mac 'n cheese to curry pot roast — will be pre-made, according to one of the restaurant's partners.
As noted by others they are coming back all teched up!
All I know about automats is that MM sang about them in Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend. Quite a great act too & it's on You Tube if you're interested. (Movie is Gentlemen Prefer Blondes but you can just hear her sing Diamonds.)
There were fewer processed foods in those days. Certain items tasted better.
How do you measure that exactly, as in what metric is used to determine that sandwiches, pies, whatever tasted better? Surely you'd concede that people looking back 50 years at their memories of how things tasted isn't a valid barometer of quality or taste, and one could argue that modern preservatives would better support items that could sit in slots for days.
I love buffets but I have read a thread here where a lot of people don't. They don't like people close to the food, handling the serving utensils, handling the food with their hands, not getting a clean plate with each return, sneezing, coughing etc.
What they don't know goes on behind closed doors (in the kitchen, say), won't hurt them.
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