Horn & Hardart

Take a peek behind the scenes as we roast, sample, and pack Automat Coffee with our roasting partner, Ellis Coffee!

Roasting Legacies - Horn & Hardart and Ellis Coffee 135 years after our first restaurant opened, Horn & Hardart is embarking on a fresh chapter. Returning to our roots we have introduced Horn & Hardart Automat...

The famous H&H "Sample Table" (also referred to as the "Ulcer Table" due to the sheer volume of food). Joseph Horn started a daily tasting where H&H executives and various restaurant managers would judge the quality of food from both the NYC and Philadelphia H&H commissaries.

Today in H&H history! Feb 22, 1928, 10¢ cherry pies for George Washington's birthday.

Dive into a world of elegance and history with the Automat coffee dispensers, inspired by a Dolphin.✨Joseph Horn found inspiration in the fountains of Florence, Italy. The incorporation of the Dolphin's spout into the beverage dispensers used at the Automats added a touch of sophistication and whimsy to the otherwise utilitarian machines.Read the full history on our blog (hornandhardart.com/blogs/blog)!

These trucks would make deliveries 4 to 5 times a day, shuttling back and forth between Horn & Hardart's central commissaries to keep Automat windows and consumer bellies full.

This week in H&H history. January 20, 1942 Horn & Hardart opens a large restaurant on City Line Ave in Philadelphia.

This week in H&H history 📰 January 14, 1930 an Automat Cafeteria opened up at 122-4 Pearl St, NY.

135 years ago, on December 22, 1888, Horn & Hardart opened its first restaurant on Thirteenth street in Philadelphia.

Horn & Hardart retail shops were the go to spot for ready-to-serve Thanksgiving food. What Horn & Hardart food would you serve?

In the beginning of 1964 Horn and Hardart researched and developed an All Method grind of the Automat “Gilt Edge” Coffee. It was introduced in a two pound size in their new “No-Key” coffee tin.

We created a special edition H&H coffee mug designed after this 1960s tin! Visit hornandhardart.com to purchase.

In May 1950, Horn & Hardart opened up a location at the Reading Terminal Market with the capacity to serve 20,000 people a day!

We are going to be back at Reading Terminal this weekend. Join us at The Pennsylvania General Store Holiday Shop where we will be handing out samples of Automat Coffee! The first 30 customers to purchase coffee will receive a free H&H mug. We will be there from Noon to 2 PM on Saturday, Nov. 4th.

Which hat would you wear to the Automat?

Today is National Coffee Day! To celebrate, all H&H coffee is 15% off this weekend. Use the code COFFEEDAY at checkout!

Then and now: The 7th Ave entrance of the Automat located at Macy’s Herald Square. The first image was taken around 1930, give or take a few years. The last image was taken in 1955 after new signs were installed. What doesn’t change? Fire hydrants, apparently.

The “Child at Automat” illustration was widely publicized during the 1964-65 World’s Fair in New York. The image would even make its way onto Automat tokens in 1981 along with the phrase “New York’s Landmark Restaurant” for the 70th anniversary of the NYC Automat.

A page from our 1963 annual shareholder report. Although the coffee had been available for some time, H&H started to expand the availability of the coffee into supermarkets. To promote the coffee, the cans included coupons for food (dubbed “Meal Money”) which could be redeemed in Automats.

Welcome to the family, Chestnut Street! Our new dark roast coffee is out now and available for purchase online at www.hhcoffee.com

We love hearing the impact H&H had on so many kids! The opportunity to bask upon walls of food and get to pick your own meal had such a profound impact on so many. What's your H&H story?

Things are brewing over here at Horn & Hardart. Check out our plan to

Why I'm Restoring Horn & Hardart I am resolute in my commitment to building back the Horn & Hardart Automat with the same ideals set forth by its founders, Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart. These visionary founders instilled ideals of innovation, quality, and artistry into the Automats for decades to come.

Then and now! An H&H “self service” retail shop in 1953. We’re not sure why TD Bank loves occupying the sites of old H&H locations, but they do. This one was located at 220 7th Ave in NYC. The building (and the one next to it) have since been demolished and replaced.

The history of the Automat is still visible on Chestnut St in Philadelphia. In 1902, Horn & Hardart revolutionized the Philly restaurant scene by opening the first Automat Cafeteria in the country at 818 Chestnut St. Today, the neon Automat sign still lights up the night, giving those passing by a glimpse into our 130 year old history.

Then and now! This old image, taken sometime between 1915-1920, shows an early H&H Cafeteria restaurant located across the street from Penn Station in NYC. This location would eventually be converted into an Automat by the 1940s.

120 years after the first Automat opened, the first Automat Boxes are arriving on doorsteps all over the country. We hope that receiving the package gave our subscribers a feeling of the Automat right in their own homes.

Our goal is to ultimately restore the Horn & Hardart Automat. To do that, we are working to create a community of people to help rebuild this brand with us and prove that H&H still has a steady base of supporters. That is ultimately why we chose the subscription model for our coffee.

We appreciate the support we've received so far and hope to bring many more of you into our community. We are excited to share more of your stories in our newsletter, see our traditional recipes getting made, and bring the experience of the Automat to the next generation.

We can

A rainy day at the Horn & Hardart “counter restaurant” and retail shop on 7th Ave, opened in 1952. This was one of the many non-automat locations the company operated in NYC. Swipe to see what the building looks like now!

Horn & Hardart has been synonymous with great coffee ever since Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart opened their first restaurant in 1888. At its height, Horn & Hardart served 90 million cups of coffee a year to patrons in their Automats.

Now, you can bring the Automat home with our monthly or quarterly coffee subscription! Enjoy special stories, recipes, and photos from the Automat as you sip on that first cup in the morning.

The first Automat boxes are shipping this week! A huge thanks to all our subscribers who are making the restoration of H&H possible. With your help we can