One of the great things about marketing is that new ideas don’t always have to be new.

The Food Network’s Unwrapped show just featured a coin-operated eating blast from the past.  Taking a page from Horn & Hardart history, the founders of BAMN! Automat created a hip eating place for fresh food that’s fast and tasty.

Visit BAMN! in this video.

Open 24 hours a day, the downtown New York City eatery features a range of foods and desserts costing only a few dollars each.  “Hearty comfort food choices – at vintage prices” is how the company puts it.  Especially intriguing is that all the food is prepared fresh and on-site by a chef!  Two of the healthy chicken items (red bamboo soul chicken and chicken parmigiana) cost $3 each and are made from soy.  Have a craving for Mexican?  Try the tijuana taco kroket for $2.  Check out the menu here.

Open for three years now, the BAMN! concept and positioning target fast-movers in an urban environment:  “we offer tasty and high quality food to fuel people on the go.”  Don’t forget to bring your quarters, though.  Similar to its historical predecessor, you’ll need coins to quench your hunger.

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Inspiration doesn’t always require fancy trendspotters or high-priced idea-generators.  Winning ideas can come from many places, including the past.  Dare to be different as you provide the customer with quality and value, and a little fun never hurts either.  For those managing established brands or businesses, especially with a rich heritage, be sure to review the archives and understand what led to success or what may have been before its time.  There may be a great idea to repurpose.  Overall, challenge yourself and your teams to find creative ways to manufacture news and maintain relevancy.

Harvey Chimoff is a hands-on marketing leader and business-wide collaborator who builds marketing capabilities in B2B/B2C organizations that drive customer success.