henry6 /quote] But railroads have long been in the dining car business. Unless all who ever worked in the service are dead or otherwise not available. To say Amtrak doesn't know about dining cars is a wrong statement to say the least.
/quote] But railroads have long been in the dining car business. Unless all who ever worked in the service are dead or otherwise not available. To say Amtrak doesn't know about dining cars is a wrong statement to say the least.
That statement only exists in your head, I never made it.
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schlimm henry6 Therefore dining car fare need not be Delmonico's on wheels. But nor can or nor should be Micky D's. My "etc." was to include the likes of Red Lobster and other chains...even regional chains to add spice to the fare. And I'm not sure Cracker Barrel is the choice either. I am just throwing out a concept which would have to be market defined, researched and tested then redefined and refined to work. I do think it has to be better than normal fare, but not gourmet or fine dining by any means. Whatever the dining niche ends up being, it should cover the costs of providing. Amtrak's charter is to provide transport, not be the restaurant on wheels..
henry6 Therefore dining car fare need not be Delmonico's on wheels. But nor can or nor should be Micky D's. My "etc." was to include the likes of Red Lobster and other chains...even regional chains to add spice to the fare. And I'm not sure Cracker Barrel is the choice either. I am just throwing out a concept which would have to be market defined, researched and tested then redefined and refined to work. I do think it has to be better than normal fare, but not gourmet or fine dining by any means.
Whatever the dining niche ends up being, it should cover the costs of providing. Amtrak's charter is to provide transport, not be the restaurant on wheels..
Which raises another interesting albeit not controversial point!
If the charter is to provide public rail transport, does the charter include high priced business class travel that most of the taxpayers cannot afford and is paid for frequently if not mostly by people traveling on expense accounts? Or in private rooms that only an average of 14.6 per cent of long distance passengers or 2.2 per cent of system passengers choose? Presumably their choice is driven in part by several variables, including the ability to pay. Numbers are from the 2009 - 2013 Amtrak Monthly Operating Reports.
oltmannd Overmod Applebees, T.G. Fridays, Ruby Tuesdays, etc. are known menus and qualities. So is Red Lobster Red Lobster is part of Darden. So let Darden do it and you have food possibilities from Longhorn, Bonefish, Season's 52, Capitol Grill and Olive Garden, as well. Getting Darden on board and giving them some profit incentive would likely be good all around. Amtrak would be small incremental business for them. You don't want the standard salad that comes with your meal? $4 gets you a premium salad. You want a bigger fillet? Okay, $5 more. You want creme brulee instead of pie and ice cream....etc.
Overmod Applebees, T.G. Fridays, Ruby Tuesdays, etc. are known menus and qualities. So is Red Lobster
Applebees, T.G. Fridays, Ruby Tuesdays, etc. are known menus and qualities.
So is Red Lobster
Red Lobster is part of Darden. So let Darden do it and you have food possibilities from Longhorn, Bonefish, Season's 52, Capitol Grill and Olive Garden, as well.
Getting Darden on board and giving them some profit incentive would likely be good all around. Amtrak would be small incremental business for them.
You don't want the standard salad that comes with your meal? $4 gets you a premium salad. You want a bigger fillet? Okay, $5 more. You want creme brulee instead of pie and ice cream....etc.
According to a Wall Street Journal article that appeared last week, I believe, Darden has put Red Lobster up for sale.
Sam1schlimm henry6 Therefore dining car fare need not be Delmonico's on wheels. But nor can or nor should be Micky D's. My "etc." was to include the likes of Red Lobster and other chains...even regional chains to add spice to the fare. And I'm not sure Cracker Barrel is the choice either. I am just throwing out a concept which would have to be market defined, researched and tested then redefined and refined to work. I do think it has to be better than normal fare, but not gourmet or fine dining by any means. Whatever the dining niche ends up being, it should cover the costs of providing. Amtrak's charter is to provide transport, not be the restaurant on wheels.. Which raises another interesting albeit not controversial point! If the charter is to provide public rail transport, does the charter include high priced business class travel that most of the taxpayers cannot afford and is paid for frequently if not mostly by people traveling on expense accounts? Or in private rooms that only an average of 14.6 per cent of long distance passengers or 2.2 per cent of system passengers choose? Presumably their choice is driven in part by several variables, including the ability to pay. Numbers are from the 2009 - 2013 Amtrak Monthly Operating Reports.
henry6Sam1 schlimm henry6 Therefore dining car fare need not be Delmonico's on wheels. But nor can or nor should be Micky D's. My "etc." was to include the likes of Red Lobster and other chains...even regional chains to add spice to the fare. And I'm not sure Cracker Barrel is the choice either. I am just throwing out a concept which would have to be market defined, researched and tested then redefined and refined to work. I do think it has to be better than normal fare, but not gourmet or fine dining by any means. Whatever the dining niche ends up being, it should cover the costs of providing. Amtrak's charter is to provide transport, not be the restaurant on wheels.. Which raises another interesting albeit not controversial point! If the charter is to provide public rail transport, does the charter include high priced business class travel that most of the taxpayers cannot afford and is paid for frequently if not mostly by people traveling on expense accounts? Or in private rooms that only an average of 14.6 per cent of long distance passengers or 2.2 per cent of system passengers choose? Presumably their choice is driven in part by several variables, including the ability to pay. Numbers are from the 2009 - 2013 Amtrak Monthly Operating Reports. The charter has nothing to do with it, marketing does. Is the train a slouch all stops coach only train or a limited with sleepers for businessmen or whatever. Design your dining car and menu to fit the clientele you are selling the train to. The problem is that Amtrak has to market to Congress and not riders, customers. But some trains can serve subs and potato chips or hamburgers on plastic plates and sloshed down with a Bud or a Coke while others should have steak and on ceramic plates, salad, choice of potato and with a glass of wine. Not everything has to be white collar fare nor blue collar fare but designed for the train and its service. However, whichever is presented has to be just a little bit better, a little more special, more appealing because of the cost involved but not made more costly.
Sam1 schlimm henry6 Therefore dining car fare need not be Delmonico's on wheels. But nor can or nor should be Micky D's. My "etc." was to include the likes of Red Lobster and other chains...even regional chains to add spice to the fare. And I'm not sure Cracker Barrel is the choice either. I am just throwing out a concept which would have to be market defined, researched and tested then redefined and refined to work. I do think it has to be better than normal fare, but not gourmet or fine dining by any means. Whatever the dining niche ends up being, it should cover the costs of providing. Amtrak's charter is to provide transport, not be the restaurant on wheels.. Which raises another interesting albeit not controversial point! If the charter is to provide public rail transport, does the charter include high priced business class travel that most of the taxpayers cannot afford and is paid for frequently if not mostly by people traveling on expense accounts? Or in private rooms that only an average of 14.6 per cent of long distance passengers or 2.2 per cent of system passengers choose? Presumably their choice is driven in part by several variables, including the ability to pay. Numbers are from the 2009 - 2013 Amtrak Monthly Operating Reports.
The charter (legislation) has everything to do with it. If the market had been allowed to work, most passenger rail, especially the long distance trains, would have faded from the scene in 1971 if not before.
henry6marketing does. Is the train a slouch all stops coach only train or a limited with sleepers for businessmen or whatever. Design your dining car and menu to fit the clientele you are selling the train to.
henry: What century is this? The first principle of marketing is reality. Businessmen have not been riding LD trains in any numbers for 50 years. They do ride Acela, which is doing just fine, for transportation, not "dinner in the diner."
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tAren't long distance trains primarily used for liesure travel? But still, what works for Acela mealwise should work nationally. Why not?
schlimmhenry6marketing does. Is the train a slouch all stops coach only train or a limited with sleepers for businessmen or whatever. Design your dining car and menu to fit the clientele you are selling the train to. henry: What century is this? The first principle of marketing is reality. Businessmen have not been riding LD trains in any numbers for 50 years. They do ride Acela, which is doing just fine, for transportation, not "dinner in the diner."
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