Amtrak dining and cafe service

[Cal]

Just because they bring them back doesn't mean they are guaranteed to return to same positions. They may end up as coach attendants or sleeper attendants....

I hope not..

 

[user 14106]

See trains magazine article....Amtrak plans to return traditional dining with daily service. Some things have not yet been figured out - such as communal dining and the public health implications - but the executive said they plan to start with the food preparation side of it - you may have to take your meals in your room for instance.

 

[jis]

This may require a subscription to Trains to get access to. But just placing this here for those that may have access. It basically says, among other things, that restoration of full Dining service within the contraints imposed by COVID, in conjunction with LD service restoration is under serious consideration...

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-rev...istance-service-best-prices-are-on-new-dates/
Fair quote:

Amtrak plans to restore “traditional” dining car meals with the daily frequencies, Harris says, “but we’re not quite sure yet how to work through the health implications. Communal dining is probably a non-starter for now, and you can work backward through food preparation and delivery.”

He says Amtrak’s new head of customer service, Robert Jordan, “is very interested in the topic and is going through the process of inviting employee input to make it better.”

“It’s important to figure this out because it involves the recall of employees for the daily service this summer, so it’s a rather intertwined process,” Harris says. “There will be some food service decisions in the coming months but there will be further developments in the next year, as we get our new team really focused on this.”

 

[CTANut]

I'm confused about people requiring you to eat in your room. When I rode on Amtrak, you were allowed to eat in the dining car or in your room. Is it just on selected trains? (I rode December 21-23,2020 on the southwest chief).

 

[fdaley]

The report in Trains is one of the more hopeful things I've seen in awhile. At the least, it appears to mean that the "traditional dining" level of on-board food preparation -- and menu selections -- will be restored to the western trains when daily service is restored, even if many sleeper passengers wind up being served in their rooms initially because of Covid concerns.

The story also includes this quote from Roger Harris, who is identified as Amtrak's chief marketing and revenue officer:
“There will be some food service decisions in the coming months but there will be further developments in the next year, as we get our new team really focused on this.”
Could this mean that something better is in the works for the eastern LD trains as well?

 

[jis]

In what Harris said according to the Trains Wire report, there is no specific mention of Western or Eastern train. Just something to note. I don't know what it may or may not mean.

 

[TheVig]

At this point, I'd be fine with a stale twinkie.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I'm confused about people requiring you to eat in your room. When I rode on Amtrak, you were allowed to eat in the dining car or in your room. Is it just on selected trains? (I rode December 21-23,2020 on the southwest chief).

Agreed. For some reason there are people who think “traditional dining” automatically equals stuff the booths with strangers even when you have plenty of empty tables available....

If that part of traditional dining never comes back I’ll be happy.

I could care less if table service comes back to be honest - I just want food that I actually want to eat!

 

[Cal]

The report in Trains is one of the more hopeful things I've seen in awhile. At the least, it appears to mean that the "traditional dining" level of on-board food preparation -- and menu selections -- will be restored to the western trains when daily service is restored, even if many sleeper passengers wind up being served in their rooms initially because of Covid concerns.

The story also includes this quote from Roger Harris, who is identified as Amtrak's chief marketing and revenue officer:
“There will be some food service decisions in the coming months but there will be further developments in the next year, as we get our new team really focused on this.”
Could this mean that something better is in the works for the eastern LD trains as well?

I sure hope so!

 

[Cal]

I don't understand how people are so confused on how traditional dining will come back. To me it's pretty clear, they will do it the same way they are currently doing it on the Auto Train, or similar. Basically have traditional dining come the same way flex dining does to your room.

Agreed. For some reason there are people who think “traditional dining” automatically equals stuff the booths with strangers even when you have plenty of empty tables available....

If that part of traditional dining never comes back I’ll be happy.

Disagree. Even though I don't necessarily talk as much, I really enjoy dining with other passengers. It's a unique experience you get to have on the train, and you here some great stories!

Now, I wouldn't be opposed if you could ask to dine at your own table or with your party only. But I hope that communal seating isn't gone forever!

 

[tonijustine]

I'm confused about people requiring you to eat in your room. When I rode on Amtrak, you were allowed to eat in the dining car or in your room. Is it just on selected trains? (I rode December 21-23,2020 on the southwest chief).

Technically speaking, I think you've always had those two options, but when eating in the diner pre-COVID, it was a communal experience. You would be sat with people with whom you weren't traveling if there was room at the table. The loss of this communal experience led many to just take their meals to their rooms. Of course, this also could be the consistent lack of consistency from Amtrak, also.

The communal dining is unlikely to be coming back. It violates the concept of social distancing which can't be mitigated by mask usage because you can't eat, drink and mask all at the same time. So, my guess is that the diner will be back on-line, and maybe even the dining car open to seating, but there will be no communal dining--only people from the same party will be able to sit together. That will reduce the diner's capacity. Capacity will be further reduced if they only seat every other table.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I don't understand how people are so confused on how traditional dining will come back. To me it's pretty clear, they will do it the same way they are currently doing it on the Auto Train, or similar. Basically have traditional dining come the same way flex dining does to your room.


Disagree. Even though I don't necessarily talk as much, I really enjoy dining with other passengers. It's a unique experience you get to have on the train, and you here some great stories!

Now, I wouldn't be opposed if you could ask to dine at your own table or with your party only. But I hope that communal seating isn't gone forever!

It may mean to return to the same type of service the trains had pre-COVID. In that case, flex meals on the eastern terrains.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

“as we get our new team really focused on this.”

That was the most promising part of the article to me...

 

[fdaley]

It may mean to return to the same type of service the trains had pre-COVID. In that case, flex meals on the eastern terrains.

That's how I read it.

 

[fdaley]

“as we get our new team really focused on this.”

That was the most promising part of the article to me...

My hopeful translation of this is: We realize we have a problem and are trying to figure out what to do about it.

 

[Cal]

It may mean to return to the same type of service the trains had pre-COVID. In that case, flex meals on the eastern terrains.

I had the western trains in mind

 

[crescent-zephyr]

The loss of this communal experience led many to just take their meals to their rooms.

Or it could be the fact that we are in global pandemic and it’s safer to eat in your room right now. Ha.

So, my guess is that the diner will be back on-line, and maybe even the dining car open to seating, but there will be no communal dining--only people from the same party will be able to sit together. That will reduce the diner's capacity.

The physical diners never went “off line” and they are open for seating even as I type and always have been.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

The physical diners never went “off line” and they are open for seating even as I type and always have been.

The Cardinal did not allow eating in the cafe/diner back in Sept but that was understandable since it doesn’t have a “real” diner. I was able to eat in the CZ’s diner.

 

[Dakota 400]

“as we get our new team really focused on this.”

A promising statement, just as long as the new team members are qualified for their job and have had some travel, preferably rail travel, experience.

I really enjoy dining with other passengers. It's a unique experience you get to have on the train, and you here some great stories!
[/QUOTE)

This is a part of rail travel that one does not experience when one flies. Seat mates, maybe a conversation or two with other passengers prior to boarding the plane: that's about it.

I could care less if table service comes back to be honest - I just want food that I actually want to eat!

Food that is properly prepared, tastes and looks good, and is as nutritious as possible surely is important. Good table service is part of an enjoyable meal as well.

 

[Cal]

The Cardinal did not allow eating in the cafe/diner back in Sept but that was understandable since it doesn’t have a “real” diner. I was able to eat in the CZ’s diner.

I was able to eat in the Starlight's and Builder's diner. This month I expect to be able to eat in the diner as well

 

[Twinkletoes]

I don't recall any railroads before Amtrak, and indeed for the first few years of Amtrak, ever including meals into the sleeper fare.
And the practice of making diner's available only to sleeper passenger's, is a relatively late rule..
Perhaps you might be confused by the old railroad requirement for all diner patrons to write their menu choice on the checks? After the meal, the steward would collect from everyone, coach or sleeper passenger...

I do remember the old practice of having diners write out their orders on the check, but unless I am truly not getting it right, I remember that on some early occasions when I took a sleeper, I just wrote down my car and room number. I rarely took sleepers in the pre-Amtrak era, and early Amtrak resembled the old ways, so I may have blended experiences.

 

[jiml]

I do remember the old practice of having diners write out their orders on the check, but unless I am truly not getting it right, I remember that on some early occasions when I took a sleeper, I just wrote down my car and room number. I rarely took sleepers in the pre-Amtrak era, and early Amtrak resembled the old ways, so I may have blended experiences.

They used to have 4 BIC pens in a plastic cup on every table. Not that long ago either.

 

[Cal]

They used to have 4 BIC pens in a plastic cup on every table. Not that long ago either.

Yeah, every LD train I've been on before COVID had those. We would write our car number and I believe room on the slip of paper, with our order on it too. There was always a paper cup with pens in it at the table..

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Yeah, every LD train I've been on before COVID had those. We would write our car number and I believe room on the slip of paper, with our order on it too. There was always a paper cup with pens in it at the table..

A personal observation - on the east coast (New York and Miami Crew Based trains) the LSA or Server would ask you your room and car number, fill out the check and just ask you to sign it. I always appreciated this as it seemed more professional and classy to me.

 

[PaTrainFan]

A personal observation - on the east coast (New York and Miami Crew Based trains) the LSA or Server would ask you your room and car number, fill out the check and just ask you to sign it. I always appreciated this as it seemed more professional and classy to me.

This was the traditional way in the "old days" of railroading. As is in pre-Amtrak.