Automat

American  

[aw-tuh-mat] / ˈɔ təˌmæt /

Trademark.

1. a type of self-service restaurant in which customers obtain food from small compartments by depositing the required number of coins in slots so that the doors can be opened.

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automat British  

/ ˈɔːtəˌmæt /

noun

1. Also called: vending machine.  a machine that automatically dispenses goods, such as cigarettes, when money is inserted

2. an area or room, sometimes having restaurant facilities, where food and other goods are supplied from vending machines

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Explanation

An automat is a food-dispensing machine or a restaurant with many such machines. If you prefer getting your take-out without speaking to another human being, an automat is the place to go. The word automat has the same beginning as automatic, meaning "operating with minimal human intervention." Automats were quite popular in the early- to mid-1900s. These restaurants had fresh food selections, usually made on-site and displayed in glass compartments. Diners dropped a coin into a slot beside their chosen dish, turned a knob, and then lifted the glass door to take their food. The original term was automated cafeteria.

Example Sentences

Apart from the tellingly-named ghost kitchens, fast-food companies, the successors of the original Automat, seem eager to find out.

From Salon • Jan. 22, 2024

It was to be the Automat of the intelligence community, “with its doors never tightly closed and with customers going in and out, day and night,” according to a CIA history.

From Washington Post • May 28, 2022

In March, following weak sales, Automat Kitchen ended its lease and vacated the premises.

From Washington Post • Apr. 8, 2022

If I had to choose one thing that the Automat was about, it’s about people sitting together and taking their time.

From New York Times • Feb. 18, 2022

He'd end up an exile washing dishes at the Automat.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

Related Words

• bistro
• booth
• coffee shop
• saloon