After I saw the 1962 film, That Touch of Mink with Doris Day, I knew I wanted to go to an automat. As far as I can tell, there are very few left in existence today. Manhattan’s East Village looks like it’s about it.

For those of you who don’t know what an automat is, it’s a fast food restaurant where all your food is available in a big wall of vending machines. There is actual cooked food available, though, not just  several months-old cheese sandwiches and cups of chili like at a snack vending machine in an office cafeteria or something. People cook this stuff in the back, put it in the slots (see above), and replenish it as it runs out.

As fast food restaurants became more popular and started offering drive-throughs, these relics sort of died out. If they were around today, they’d pretty much just exist as a a curiousity.

It looks like Bamn! is about the only location out there, at least in America. Check out their site here. I think I may need to visit this place next time I’m in NYC.