Automat

"Automat was a casual restaurant located in the NoPa neighborhood of San Francisco. It was known for its mandatory 20 percent service fee, which was intended to create a more equitable pay structure between front-of-house and back-of-house staff. However, controversies arose when former employees claimed that the distribution of the fee was inequitable, with front-of-house staff receiving a larger share. The issues came to light in mid-2022 when a Google spreadsheet revealing the service fee distribution was shared among staff, leading to discontent and eventual closure of the restaurant in August 2023. Automat was owned by partners of the two-Michelin-starred Lazy Bear and the cocktail bar True Laurel." - Lauren Saria

"The late August closure of NoPa cafe Automat took fans by surprise, but co-owner David Barzelay spoke to Eater SF about the many challenges of running an all-day restaurant back in March." - Lauren Saria

"Automat, the once hotly anticipated all-day cafe from chef Matt Kirk, will close its doors by the end of the month. The NoPa restaurant made the announcement on Sunday morning via Instagram post, sharing that Automat’s last day of service will be Sunday, August 27. The reason for the closure? Automat struggled to find the right balance between quality and affordability. Automat offers a casual dining experience, one where customers order at the front counter and choose their own seats, the restaurant also baked bread for its sandwiches and made all its pastries in-house. Automat initially offered all-day service including breakfast, lunch, and dinner — but ended dinner service in June. At the time, the restaurant shared that it’d been challenging to fit their extensive daytime and bakery program alongside a completely separate dinner menu. It now seems downsizing the scope of the service offerings still wasn’t enough. The restaurant opened its doors in late November 2021, serving breakfast sandwiches, banana bread, and lattes on the corner of McAllister and Baker streets." - Lauren Saria

"Whereas I’d avoid the Automat breakfast sandwich for fear the egg might slip out on my walk, the french fries with Automat sauce are perfect should you be walking from Alamo Square toward the Richmond or NoPa to Cole Valley." - Garrett Schlichte

"Popular cafe Automat announced its unexpected closure via Instagram post." - Lauren Saria