This is so interesting. I remember as a child my family would go to S&S Cafeterias, and Piccadilly. It was like the lunch line at school. Regrettably the closest I've gotten to an automat was when I taught in a prison, the classroom had vending machines of sandwiches, desserts, etc.

I think we still have automats. Ikea cafe for example, the cafeteria in the basement of the Natural History and Science Museum in Washington, D.C., any number of places where you get food, checkout, sit, eat, leave without interacting with anyone.

Ya'll need a trip to Japan. So many versions of the automat approach. One favorite is ガスト (Gusto). Self seat, Order from the tablet at your table, food delivered by a rolling robot with "Kitty" theme, and self checkout with the reciept/ticket at an unstaffed kiosk. They put all of the human labor effort into kitchen staff and great ingredients. Better food than the best Denny's or IHOP in the heyday of the late 80s or early 90s, and breakfast for two totaling under 12 dollars. Its a winning twist on Automat, and other examples of this are around the corner in almost every town. Its the future we were promised in the 50s that never got delivered beyond some Art Deco public works buildings.