Closed For 1,942 Years,

it is now open to the public again,

although not for business, it can now be viewed after it was excavated from the ruins of Pompeii where it was buried in 79 AD by Mount Vesuvius, all photographs Pompeii Sites,

it is a thermopolium (aka hot food stand),

the outlet served hot food and mulled spiced wine (calida) from earthenware jars set in the counter. Such an establishment could be a neighbourhood stand specializing in two or three items, such as wine, lentils, meats, or cheese, or a more elegant setting with frescoed walls decorating the dining area,

embedded within the counter are storage wells called dolia that would have held warm dishes and drinks like wine, duck, fava beans, a paella-style dish of pork, goat, bird, fish, and snail, remnants of which were found last year, elaborate, colourful frescoes depicting on-menu fare like chickens and hanging mallards line the L-shaped bar, with an array of large, earthenware vessels scattered around the space. According to a release from the site, middle- and lower-class residents rarely cooked at home and were the likely patrons of this small spot, which was one of nearly 80 around the city,

although this thermopolium originally was discovered back in 2019, archaeologists didn’t return to resume excavation until 2020, starting August 12, visitors are welcome to stop by every day between noon and 7 p.m., 

the thermopolia also were the haunts of more disreputable sorts. Plautus, for example, speaks of effeminate Greeks and thieving slaves frequenting them (Curculio, II.iii.288ff; Trinummus, IV.3.1013), and Dio records that Claudius once commanded that such places be closed altogether. "Moreover, seeing that there was no use in forbidding the populace to do certain things unless their daily life should be reformed, he abolished the taverns where they were wont to gather and drink, and commanded that no boiled meat or hot water should be sold; and he punished some who disobeyed in this matter" (LX.6.7). Caligula, having declared a period of mourning for his sister, even had a man put to death for selling hot water then (LIX.11.6).

Apre al pubblico dal 12 agosto il #Termopolio della Regio V, l’antica tavola calda di Pompei, portata in luce durante gli ultimi scavi in un’area della città antica mai prima indagata. pic.twitter.com/gPhWQAwkkV

— Pompeii Sites (@pompeii_sites) August 6, 2021

and here is a video of the fast food establishment, it strange that we think of 'fast foods' as a modern idea, but here they were nearly 2,000 years ago!