Heinz x Nico's Deli Night Shift Automat
Fast, waiterless and loaded with flavour, this six-month automat pop-up is bringing a new edge to a bygone late-night staple.
Overview
If you're younger than, say, 60 years old, there's little chance you've come across an automat restaurant in Australia. These service-free restaurants were coin-operated, with rows of wall-mounted compartments filled with tasty bites and drinks. Following the rise of modern fast-food decades ago, the automat's days were numbered, with Japan's shokkenki, aka vending machine restaurants, about the closest present-day equivalent.
Yet now is your chance to experience an automat, likely for the first time, as Heinz and Nico's Sandwich Deli have joined forces to reveal a new, or at least reborn, iteration — the Night Shift Automat. Designed for night owls up late or on the way home, the activation launches from 7–11pm on Thursday, March 12, serving saucy sangies for the next six months at Nico's Deli in the heart of Fitzroy.
Like the automats of old, Nico's candescent blue light will welcome you in, spotlighting a rotating menu throughout the pop-up. If you're keen to swing by, the Heinz x Nico's Deli Night Shift Automat will be open weekly, Thursday–Saturday, from 7pm until late.
"We're stoked to bring the lunchtime sandwiches we know Melbourne loves, into a whole new nighttime vibe," says Nico's Deli co-founder Leo Thompson. "The Heinz x Nico's Night Shift will be zero fuss with maximum flavour."
Now that the chill of winter has officially set in, the after-hours automat has introduced a new spicy menu to warm you up as you scorch your taste buds. Available from Thursday, June 18, until the end of July, you'll be able to grab a sandwich with three heat levels.
The Henferno Chicken Sandwich (medium) features fried chicken, an Asian spice blend, Heinz Fiery Chilli Sauce, and Garlic Aioli (with a fried Plantein Schnitzel alternative for vegetarians). The Jalapeno Hot Shot Chicken Sandwich (hot) douses its fried chicken with jalapeno ranch, Heinz Mayo, fresh jalapenos and pickles. Finally, the Hab Mercy Chicken Sandwich (seriously hot) combines habanero aioli with Heinz Mayo and fresh habanero and pineapple relish for a zingy, fiery challenge.
"As Melbourne heads into winter, we wanted to give our community something that brings a bit of heat. This trio is bold, it's delicious, and it's exactly what you need on a cold night when you're craving something with a bit of heat, no matter your spice tolerance," says Thompson.
Here's one good thing about the weather getting colder. If the temperature drops below five degrees, the sandwiches will drop to $5 too. Bargain!
Images: Chege Mbuthi.
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