I think these are very valid points with regard to some of the services. But wha about the Lake Shore. Have crews go NY-Penn - Schenectidy or Utica serving dinner on the westbound in the evening and breakfast on the eastbound in the morning. And Chicago - Toledo serving dinner eastbound and breakfast westbound. Fewer people sleeping on the train means more revenue space, also. But the person in charge runs through between Sunnyside and the Chicago coachyard.
And food preparation and serving should be generally on the Acela model.
^^^ I agree, I think at min your going to need 3 crew on a Superliner Diner and that is tight because that means no breaks until the Diner is closed. I think its probably better to cut costs by increasing revenue, avg check, base part of compensation on upsell or commissions/tips, potentially finding a way to reduce equipment costs.
There are a lot of ramifications. I won't address them all, but here's one:
One food service employee works through the entire trip. All others are on a step-on/step-off routine. Supposedly, workers are spaced out along the route at numerous separate crew bases, with varying report times, precisely timed arrival and departure times, and precisely timed meal service times. There are many, many trains every day so that there is no lost time between trains. Trains are always on time. There are no 3-day-a-week trains, which would entail long layovers and overnight hotel stays. Changes in train schedules will affect arrival times at stations, so workers might have to move whenever schedules change. Those conditions may exist somewhere in the world (I doubt it), but they certainly do not exist at Amtrak now, and are not likely to exist at Amtrak any time soon.
Tom
[quote user="CMStPnP"]
daveklepper I do not believe current management is addressing the issue properly. They should have a better way of handling the issue than just downgrading service ono specific trains. In this day and age, there is no sense whatsoever to pay more than one person involved with food service per long-distance train to sleep on trains and be away from home. There are several national restaurant and catering organizations that could reduce costs by combining food preparation and food purchasing for Amtrak with their other operations and bring economies of scale to this service without sacrificing quality.
I do not believe current management is addressing the issue properly. They should have a better way of handling the issue than just downgrading service ono specific trains. In this day and age, there is no sense whatsoever to pay more than one person involved with food service per long-distance train to sleep on trains and be away from home. There are several national restaurant and catering organizations that could reduce costs by combining food preparation and food purchasing for Amtrak with their other operations and bring economies of scale to this service without sacrificing quality.
Agree with this. You need at least one person on board to keep the place in conformance with Health Department guidelines. Plus I don't know how it works for the rails but in some U.S. geographic locations they need to be trained and certified in Food Handling and Food management. Both courses are really easy to pass so not a big hurdle there.
Here is where I have a problem though trying to figure out a solution.
1. What do you pay a person like that? A trained fast casual restaurant manager runs about $30,000 a year......or more depending on revenue and traffic. Amtrak dining car on most LD trains is light traffic, you have a surge for maybe one seating and the other seatings are partially empty. Now that might change if you improve things........which is why I would opt for two people (below) on the second level of the Superliner. Train them how to carry more than one plate at a time on a platter, train them how to multi-task, train them how to bust tables fast.
2. How do they work on a bi-level diner with the kitchen and prep area on the first floor? I think on a Superliner your going to need a minimum of three. Two upstairs and one Downstairs. Single level diner, perhaps two can do it.
3. Reducing the people is only part of the solution to reducing costs. You still have 12 large commissaries, an average meal check that would not be financially viable at almost any shopping mall in the United States (too low),
4. Menus of the Snack Bar and Dining Car competing against one another in cost to the passenger. (ie: Keep the Hot Dogs and Hamburgers in the Snack Car and use the Dining Car only for fine dining).
4. One Amtrak experiment I read was fairly intelligent. Having the dining car folks on Amtrak go out into the train and try to sell tray meals or get more folks for seating in the Dining car.......then cutting them in on a commission deal for meals sold or some other incentive. I did that at my fast casual restaurant and it increases sales by 30% most days. You take a hot sample tray out into the shopping mall and offer it to passerby's to taste test. If it is a good product one taste and they are going to take a detour to your dining car. It really does work and gets people to change their minds and decide to eat but like I said only 20-30%.
5. I would also use the dining car staff to offer some late night items via the Lounge car after the Dining Car is closed for the day.
6. Why on Earth doesn't Amtrak sell the most profitable food item invented...................Pop Corn? C'mon, that's an easy one for the lounge car on movie night.
CMStPnPYou take a hot sample tray out into the shopping mall and offer it to passerby's to taste test. If it is a good product one taste and they are going to take a detour to your dining car. It really does work and gets people to change their minds and decide to eat but like I said only 20-30%.
And Amtrak LD passengers do not have the many choices the guy in a mall has. They are a captive audience. [Sleeper passengers get the food "free."] On the other hand, given some of Amtrak's food offerings, samples just might reduce the number of customers.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
schlimm Amtrak uses the same model for food service as the rails did 60-70 years ago, but not well. How many other industries attempt to use a model that old? Time for change. Why not have differing menus? The private rails did.
Amtrak uses the same model for food service as the rails did 60-70 years ago, but not well. How many other industries attempt to use a model that old? Time for change.
Why not have differing menus? The private rails did.
Very true and hou can differ a sandwich with just a slight twist. For example a Chicken and Bacon with cheese sandwich...........can change to something more New Orleans by adding Burbon BBQ sauce and peppering the bacon while it cooks...........right there you have the same sandwich, same ingredients but two regional tastes to it.
And then we would no longer have the same menu on all long-distance trains?
Johnny
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