My new dining car idea

[Peter KG6LSE]

Ill second waffle house and I am from Iowa .

 

[winterskigirl]

I have to agree with Cho Cho Charlie. The whole point of LD travel is slowing down to enjoy life, the passing scenery and a leisurely meal. Please God don't let Amtrak become like the Airlines.

 

[RRUserious]

Would it harm the sleeper business? One thing that makes sleeper cars worth their hefty price is three meals a day in the dining car. The only thing I wonder is if the dining cars are being run for max profits. The whole effort seems kinda humdrum with not much apparent ingenuity. Surely one of those guys from Restaurant Impossible could find things that could be changed to use the same facility to make more money.

By the way, I had a meal brought to my sleeping room. I wonder if junk foods could be delivered for a fee to passengers. Would passengers pay anything to get a snack at their seat? I like taking walks from time to time, but someone watching a movie on their tablet or laptop might appreciate a delivery. OK, I'm not Restaurant Impossible. What I know of food service could be put in a microdot with room to spare.

 

[user 1215]

That's a pretty typical amenity on most LD trains in Japan - snack cart service. I don't know of it's work here. Forget about potential profit; the overhead to get started would be an obstacle. Plus the airline mindset tart everything on the cart is free except for booze could result in poor customer service. Then that union guy in the cafe would gripe about his tips being thwarted 'cause you can't get him to run the cart because s/he is a trained microwave operational engineer...

...but yes, cart service would be nice. Folks may not want to leave their GPS or laptop unattended.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I know amsandwhiches are bad, but dear god, subway is worse!

 

[johnny.menhennet]

ev

I know amsandwhiches are bad, but dear god, subway is worse!

Agreed. Here in Solana Beach we have had 2 sub shops for as long as I can remember. Subway and Togo's. Finally about 2 years ago and literally right next to my dad's house, a Jersey Mike's opened. I used to think that Subway was good, but now I don't know if I could ever eat there! Jersey Mike's actually gives you some meat, the people are nice, the food tastes amazing, both the juices and the quality, and all that. The just a few weeks a go a really nice Habit opened and when I'm in Solana Beach now I have basically every other meal at one of those two places.

 

[jebr]

I know amsandwhiches are bad, but dear god, subway is worse!

Exactly. Plus they don't have the variety that some of the others do. Hence why I'd much rather have a Starbucks (they have hot and cold sandwiches, along with salads. They aren't too bad...better than the current AmSandwiches, in my opinion) or a Panera (again, sandwiches and salads, and they do a decent job at it, too.) They still have the "network" effect that would allow enroute restocking, at least in theory.

 

[user 1215]

I know amsandwhiches are bad, but dear god, subway is worse!

Dude. Seriously? I know it's trendy to buck up against success stories (especially when you haven't been one to profit from it), but I mean really, a sandwich made somewhere at some time by some one vs an order-made submarine on fresh bread with fresh toppings is even comparable? I know there are better subs out there. But Subway is the number one submarine sandwich chain in the world. They didn't get that way by accident and they can't really be worse than an AmWich.

 

[AlanB]

By the way, I had a meal brought to my sleeping room. I wonder if junk foods could be delivered for a fee to passengers. Would passengers pay anything to get a snack at their seat? I like taking walks from time to time, but someone watching a movie on their tablet or laptop might appreciate a delivery. OK, I'm not Restaurant Impossible. What I know of food service could be put in a microdot with room to spare.

Amtrak currently has cart service on the Hiawatha line, no cafe cars on those trains. I'm not sure how successful that is, and since its a state sponsored service, Amtrak doesn't really care if it is a success or not.

Additionally, select Acela's generally the busiest ones on a regular basis have cart service in addition to the cafe car. To my knowledge this is considered a success. I'm sure they're not making millions on the service, and for all I know they may actually be losing money on the service, although I suspect not. But it does help ease the load on the cafe attendant, as those just wanting a cup of coffee or a soda or a beer don't have to bother the cafe attendant or even leave their seat.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

I still vote for Waffle House taking over the Diner.

OMG! :excl: Not the Awffle House! :help: Why not just come out and admit you want to kill the LDs?

 

[RRUserious]

I still vote for Waffle House taking over the Diner.

OMG! :excl: Not the Awffle House! :help: Why not just come out and admit you want to kill the LDs?

LOL. How about IHOP?

 

[Big Iron]

I still vote for Waffle House taking over the Diner.

HUZZAH to that as they know how to sling out some decent chow. I just miss the ALL YOU CAN HOLD special menu they offered for a while. I guess chow hounds like me who could clear 5 or 6 plates before even getting started cost them money :lol:

Gimme my hash browns smotherd, covered, chunked, topped and country!!!!

 

[oldtimer]

I still vote for Waffle House taking over the Diner.

OMG! :excl: Not the Awffle House! :help: Why not just come out and admit you want to kill the LDs?

LOL. How about IHOP?

First of all I agree with DC about the awffle louse, hboy: :blink: :mellow:

but IHOP that is where the one legged waitresses work, no good on a train, not good at all!!!!!!!

 

[Peter KG6LSE]

Pipes up .. Village inn?

the VIB deal is VERY good ....... ...... Meep now I feel like a snack ..

 

[RRUserious]

I know, let Hooters take it over!

 

[fillyjonk]

Pipes up .. Village inn?

the VIB deal is VERY good ....... ...... Meep now I feel like a snack ..

Isn't that the place that does Pie Rush Wednesdays or some such? Maybe they could boost midweek train use....

 

[Peter KG6LSE]

Yes it is ! ..

Peter ..

 

[Crescent ATN & TCL]

I like elements of this but not the whole idea... I think Amtrak should go to 24 hr operation in the dining/cafe cars. Operate them similar to how real land based diners operate only do away with wait staff. Use the LSA to take orders and operate the counter, use the cook as is, and use one wait staff to clear tables, restock and clean. Set it up so you place and pay for your order at a counter, then pick it up when your number is called and sit in the dining car or the cafe/SSL. Give sleeping car passengers a $XX.XX meal credit based on how many meals would be expected. They could remove all hot foods from the cafe and change the cafe's focus to pre-made/pre-packaged foods such as chips, candy, cold sandwiches, salads, and drinks etc. and let the diner focus on cooked to order meals.

Some of the heritage diners already have counters and its not too late to add them to the new Viewliner II Diners, over time Amtrak can phase them in on other equipment and if needed sacrifice seating space in the diner since passengers could easily sit at tables in the cafe/SSL under this plan.

After traveling thousands of miles on Amtrak and eating many meals in the diner, I think this would provide a better level of service and much faster service. I have experienced meals in the diner that have taken an hour from the time food was order until it was received and an 30+ mins for dessert. In all of those cases the whole ordering process and having one to two wait staff trying to do too much at once was the root of the problem.

Also if you could find enough space for an ice machine and a fountain drink machine you would eliminate the problem of constantly running low on ice and canned drinks.

I also hope the new electronic sales and inventory systems help Amtrak make better choices ordering food and supplies. I see them run out of things too much, and not be able to sell other things. Also use the system to play with the menu, things that always sell should always be on the menu, then offer seasonal, and regional foods, as well as try new things to see if they sell well enough to become permanent menu items. I'm sure Aramark has a huge catalog for Amtrak to choose from try something new and see how well it does. Some things have been on the menu unchanged for decades, might be time to mix it up a little. It also seems like things are trending toward more fresh and healthy food, rather than the pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, etc that have been Amtrak's staple items for years.

 

[rrdude]

Surely would lose my business. I choose a sleeper on LD trains for the following reasons:

• Flat bed to sleep on, privacy when I want it.
• Meals, cooked to order, SERVED by a waiter/waitress to my table, in a dining car, communal style. Dinner with a salad, entree, and dessert, accompanied by a bottle or two of wine. Dishes served and cleared by staff.
• Scenery, other amenities, such as SSL. (or the ability to take my car on the A.T.)
• Enjoy the slower pace, meeting others who share my love of rail travel, scenery, history.

Does that make me sound like a snob? Dunno. But I'm 54, and know how to rough-it too. (Try spending 10 days in the high-dessert of NM, with ten Boy Scouts. You quickly learn that dirt and dust are an intragal part of every meal! And the best way to "wash" your dishes is to LICK your dishes clean. Haha.)

If Amtrak were to modify, or "downgrade" the service in the dining car (AGAIN, AGAIN, AGAIN) I really would probably just save my money til I had enough to splurge on the Canadian, or Mexico's Copper Canyon rail "Adventures".

The "dining car experience" is truly one of the gems of rail travel for me. I'm just glad that I've had a chance to "indoctronate" my kids to this same experience, several times.

 

[fillyjonk]

Surely would lose my business. I choose a sleeper on LD trains for the following reasons:

• Flat bed to sleep on, privacy when I want it.
• Meals, cooked to order, SERVED by a waiter/waitress to my table, in a dining car, communal style. Dinner with a salad, entree, and dessert, accompanied by a bottle or two of wine. Dishes served and cleared by staff.
• Scenery, other amenities, such as SSL. (or the ability to take my car on the A.T.)
• Enjoy the slower pace, meeting others who share my love of rail travel, scenery, history.

I'm about 10 years younger than you are, but my list is similar. First and foremost is the privacy of the sleeper - no being accosted by the friendly guy with a ponytail fetish (that actually happened to me), no getting coughed and hacked on during flu season, and being able to read my book in reasonable quiet. And being able to lie down to sleep.

But being served a meal in the diner is up there on that list too. And since the town I live in is largely a fast-food hell when it comes to restaurants (a common problem with college towns), it's nice to have a "real" meal in a "real" diner. It's nice to have something a little "different" from time to time. There are Subways everywhere; there are KFCs everywhere (even in China....)

While "having" to eat Subway wouldn't be enough to make me stop taking the train (I really, really loathe flying, and when I travel by train, it's because it's too far for me to drive alone), but I'd be distinctly disappointed by it. And would expect to see the sleeping-car price go down a bit? (though it probably would not).

As I said before, I wouldn't be heartbroken if they swapped the Lounge car out for a 'fast casual' restaurant concept, because a lot of the time, the lounge car sandwiches are not that good. But the food in the diner - at least most of the times I've had it - has been superior to something like Subway or KFC.

 

[AlanB]

Also if you could find enough space for an ice machine and a fountain drink machine you would eliminate the problem of constantly running low on ice and canned drinks.

No fountain machines, and I'm not sure that we'll ever see that, and frankly that makes me happy. They're tricky to keep working and Amtrak already has enough things to keep working.

However, the newly rebuilt Viewliner diner does have a ice machine in the kitchen. And the new Viewliner II's should also have that as standard equipment.

 

[Nathanael]

But Subway is the number one submarine sandwich chain in the world. They didn't get that way by accident and they can't really be worse than an AmWich.

Subway is essentially the only fast food chain with reliably fresh vegetables. That's their secret. It is very attractive for people who like to eat healthy.