Thermopolium

: thermopolia), from Greek θερμοπώλειον (thermopōlion), i.e. cook-shop,[1] literally "a place where something hot is sold", was a commercial establishment where it was possible to purchase ready-to-eat food.

A typical thermopolium consists of a small room attached to, but not accessible from, a house, with a distinctive masonry counter in the front.

[2] A dolium in the thermopolium attached to the House of Neptune and Amphitrite in Herculaneum held the carbonized remains of nuts.

[4] It had a typical structure consisting of a wide doorway open to the street and a counter with holes where four jars were set into it (dolia) for food or wine.

The complete skeleton of an "extremely small" adult dog was also discovered that "attest to selective breeding in the Roman epoch to obtain this result.