2007年VOA标准英语-New Fast Food Restaurant Bamn! Serves Up a Hit

By Ade Astuti and Nia Sutadi
New York City
10 August 2007
 

American cities are filled with fast food restaurants like McDonalds and Subway.  As a result, modern restaurant entrepreneurs have to think creatively to separate themselves from the pack.  Bamn!, a new restaurant in New York City, has found a way to stand out, by reverting¹ back to the past.  For producers Ade Astuti and Nia Sutadi, VOA's Tony Budny has more.

Restaurant patrons have a choice of foods offered behind a wall of small doors

A new hot spot has emerged in New York -- Bamn! -- a restaurant without tables or chairs.  Instead, this 55 square meter restaurant features a wall of coin-operated window boxes full of all sorts of tasty treats, from grilled² cheese sandwiches to corn dogs.

Tucked in between Japanese restaurants and tattoo³ parlors⁴, Bamn! is a modern twist on the popular 20th century automat.  David Leong and Nobu Nguyen, the founders⁵ of Bamn!, say that they want a new generation of New Yorkers to experience the historic automat.

But Bamn! is no relic⁶ from the past.  With hot pink walls, neon signs and Asian and American cuisine⁷, Bamn! is every bit a new establishment.  Bamn!'s contemporary decorations and finger-friendly menu make the restaurant unique, even in a city as colorful as New York.

"It's a very novel place,” said one man. “It's very different from the other places in St. Marks [a neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City].

vending8 machine, open the door, and enjoy their takeaway food" hspace="2" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" src="/upimg/allimg/070817/1104561.jpg" />

Patrons put their coins into the vending machine, open the door, and enjoy their takeaway food

The entrepreneurs place great value on efficiency, by shortening the amount of time it takes for customers to purchase a meal. 

Another customer said, "It's really nice.  I mean, you don't have to deal with waiting in line.  Because you just have to go up to the thing.  And they have different kinds of food."

The founders of Bamn! have ensured that the dishes they sell in the coin operated compartments⁹ will not taste like they come from a vending machine.  Leong and Nobu hired Kevin Reilly, the executive chef at the Water Club in New York, as their consulting chef. Reilly says it was their commitment to use restaurant-quality ingredients that convinced him to join the Bamn! team.

As consumer demands evolve in the 21st century, it is difficult to predict the direction of the restaurant industry.  However, Bamn!'s success and the returning popularity of the automat suggests that the "fast food" industry may need to look to the past in order to remain competitive. 

1 reverting   

恢复( revert的现在分词 )； 重提； 回到…上； 归还

参考例句：

• The boss came back from holiday all relaxed and smiling, but now he's reverting to type. 老板刚度假回来时十分随和，满面笑容，现在又恢复原样了。
• The conversation kept reverting to the subject of money. 谈话的内容总是离不开钱的事。

2 grilled   

adj. 烤的, 炙过的, 有格子的 动词grill的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• He was grilled for two hours before the police let him go. 他被严厉盘查了两个小时后，警察才放他走。
• He was grilled until he confessed. 他被严加拷问，直到他承认为止。

3 tattoo   

n.纹身，(皮肤上的)刺花纹；vt.刺花纹于

参考例句：

• I've decided to get my tattoo removed.我已经决定去掉我身上的纹身。
• He had a tattoo on the back of his hand.他手背上刺有花纹。

4 parlors   

客厅( parlor的名词复数 )； 起居室； （旅馆中的）休息室； （通常用来构成合成词）店

参考例句：

• It had been a firm specializing in funeral parlors and parking lots. 它曾经是一个专门经营殡仪馆和停车场的公司。
• I walked, my eyes focused into the endless succession of barbershops, beauty parlors, confectioneries. 我走着，眼睛注视着那看不到头的、鳞次栉比的理发店、美容院、糖果店。

5 founders   

n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句
• The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句

6 relic   

n.神圣的遗物，遗迹，纪念物

参考例句：

• This stone axe is a relic of ancient times.这石斧是古代的遗物。
• He found himself thinking of the man as a relic from the past.他把这个男人看成是过去时代的人物。

7 cuisine   

n.烹调，烹饪法

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• This restaurant is renowned for its cuisine.这家餐馆以其精美的饭菜而闻名。

8 vending   

v.出售（尤指土地等财产）( vend的现在分词 )；（尤指在公共场所）贩卖；发表（意见，言论）；声明

参考例句：

• Why Are You Banging on the Vending Machine? 你为什么敲打这台自动售货机？ 来自朗文快捷英语教程 2
• Coca-Cola had to adapt almost 300,000 vending machines to accept the new coins. 可口可乐公司必须使将近三十万台自动贩卖机接受新货币。 来自超越目标英语 第5册

9 compartments   

n.间隔( compartment的名词复数 )；（列车车厢的）隔间；（家具或设备等的）分隔间；隔层

参考例句：

• Your pencil box has several compartments. 你的铅笔盒有好几个格。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The first-class compartments are in front. 头等车室在前头。 来自《简明英汉词典》