Inspired by the Automats of Germany, Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart opened their first Automat in Philadelphia in 1902, soon expanding to New York. At their peak, there were nearly 200 locations These glass-faced, temperature-controlled food dispensers were invented in Berlin in 1895, with the Horn and Hardart company bringing the automat to the U.S. in the early 20th century. The first automat in America opened in Philadelphia in 1902, followed by New York City in 1912. Item added to your cart. Photos of the Automat in Macy's Herald Square, NYC. Horn & Hardart opened an Automat at Macy's Herald Square on August 11, 1925. It was in the "basement" and had two entrances. One on 34th St and another on 7th Ave. Joe Horn and Frank Hardart’s Automat was a marvel of efficiency that revolutionized the American food service industry. Horn and Hardart, who had first opened a luncheonette together in 1888 The Horn & Hardart Automat on Times Square in New York City, 1952. The Globe Theatre is on the left, showing the film 'When Worlds Collide'. Young woman feeds pigeons in February 1947, near a Horn and Hardart automat restaurant , at the corner of 47th Street and Broadway, in the Theater The very first automat opened in Berlin in 1895, with the Horn and Hardart company bringing the automat to the U.S. in the early 20th century — first to Philadelphia in 1902, and then to New York City in 1912. On the 100th birthday of Horn & Hardart, a look back at one of America’s most beloved institutions A coin-operated glass-and-chrome wonder, Horn & Hardart’s Automats revolutionized the way Americans ate when they opened up in Philadelphia and New York in the early twentieth century. Postcard photo of the Horn & Hardart automat on 57th Street in New York City. Date: Navigation menu. Personal tools. English; Not logged in; Talk; Contributions 2bUJv.