1963-2010. Though not quite obvious from its current appearance, this vacant storefront on a quiet block of Chestnut Street gave birth to a true icon of 20th century American dining. In 1902 the Horn & Hardart Baking Company opened their first automat on the ground floor of the Pierson Building at 818-820 Chestnut Street.
In 1888, Joe Horn and Frank Hardart opened their first Horn & Hardart restaurant on 13th Street near Chestnut in Philadelphia. Fourteen years later, the H&H location at 818 Chestnut St. — which still bears a neon sign — was outfitted with an Automat, a German-engineered tech marvel that turned H&H into a “waiterless restaurant.”
Horn and Hardart Automats were a revolutionary idea that began in the early 1900's. The format originated in Germany and was brought to the United States by Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart. In 1902, Horn and Hardart opened their first Automat in Philadelphia. A decade later, Horn and Hardart Automats also had locations in New York City. By the early 1940s, there were more than 157 Automats
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.
On December 28, 1968, the original Horn and Hardart Automat on Chestnut Street closed after 66 years. By that time, the automat machines at that location had not been in operation for a year but were left as décor in the Horn and Hardart cafeteria. Many Automat locations were replaced with fast-food restaurants like Burger King.
1902: Joe Horn and Frank Hardart open the Automat at 818 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. It's America's first coin-operated cafeteria. Customers would put nickels into slots, turn a knob and open
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horn and hardart automat menu
