Creative dining on Amtrak

[Rail Freak]

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I pack just a bit more to eat & drink on-board.

Now, there's a guy who knows how to travel!!!

 

[junebug]

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I pack just a bit more to eat & drink on-board.

When can I come with you?

 

[Thirdrail7]

Glad we're on this topic, because I want to know why the cafe car is always running out of food on the NEC. Yesterday I boarded in Norfolk VA on a not very full train and before we even reached Alexandria they were out of the lunch entree I wanted. And this train is going to Boston! What are they feeding everyone else later? Two weeks ago my train was delayed in Old Saybrook for an hour and there was no food, literally no food left. I had to wonder if it makes extra work for the cafe car attendant at the end of the trip if there's any food left - returning of inventory or something - so that they stock the bare minimum, hoping to run out of everything by the end. Anyone know about their motivations on this subject?

There is isn't an infinite amount of space, particularly for items that require refrigeration or freezing. They basically carry items in certain quantities that are based upon history. However, you never know what can occur. You may have a large amount of children on a particular train and they make a run on hot dogs or burgers as an example.

Additionally, there aren't places to restock food at every point on the system. A train departing from Norfolk would have received its main stock the day before in Boston. They can reorder up until WAS. That last reorder must sustain the train until it returns to WAS the next day.

It is entirely believable that a train returning from NFK can run out of an item prior to arriving in WAS since the items may have been depleted the day before. At any rate, there is opportunity to replenish items on that train at WAS and NYP but again, if there is a run on a certain item, it can sell out easily.