AmtrakLoverAndHater
Train Attendant
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2005
- Messages
- 63
We always hear that food service on Amtrak hemorrages dollars, but I have never read a thorough explanation as to why this is. I will try to break it down between the dining car and the lounge car. Please correct any erroneous information as I think we all deserve to know what the real deal is!
Lounge car: 1 attendant per train? Runs convenience shop I guess you could say?
The costs of the product (food & drink) should be fixed because of a contract with gate gourmet. I would assume GG is paid to bring the product to the gate, and then the lounge car attendant will load it. I assume the average lounge care attendant makes $20/hr? Figure another $10/hr for benefits/workers comp/taxes etc. So it seems to me that the lounge car needs to make at least $35 profit per hour it is open (adjusting for times the attendant is paid and is the car is not open.. this is assumption again on my part please correct me if my numbers are off). I have to assume Amtrak prices its food to give an average of at least $1 per transaction (though after seeing how much 7-11 pays for $.99 Fritos I believe it could be higher) this means an average of at least 35 transactions per hour the car is open.
As for Dining car, I can see how this loses money. You have to pay 4 waiters, a supervisor, and 2-3 cooks. I figure combined these folks make an average of $25/hr. That means the car has to make at least $200/profit per hour it is open. I know many of the customers here are sleeping car passengers, who have their meal included. If anyone can provide some speculation on how much of the sleeping car fare goes to the dining car (does it only come from what people actually buy?), if any. Also, I imagine the markup here is huge on the food served, as it seems to be of a rather low quality. I really don't know much about the dining cars so any information you guys can provide would add to the discussioin
Lounge car: 1 attendant per train? Runs convenience shop I guess you could say?
The costs of the product (food & drink) should be fixed because of a contract with gate gourmet. I would assume GG is paid to bring the product to the gate, and then the lounge car attendant will load it. I assume the average lounge care attendant makes $20/hr? Figure another $10/hr for benefits/workers comp/taxes etc. So it seems to me that the lounge car needs to make at least $35 profit per hour it is open (adjusting for times the attendant is paid and is the car is not open.. this is assumption again on my part please correct me if my numbers are off). I have to assume Amtrak prices its food to give an average of at least $1 per transaction (though after seeing how much 7-11 pays for $.99 Fritos I believe it could be higher) this means an average of at least 35 transactions per hour the car is open.
As for Dining car, I can see how this loses money. You have to pay 4 waiters, a supervisor, and 2-3 cooks. I figure combined these folks make an average of $25/hr. That means the car has to make at least $200/profit per hour it is open. I know many of the customers here are sleeping car passengers, who have their meal included. If anyone can provide some speculation on how much of the sleeping car fare goes to the dining car (does it only come from what people actually buy?), if any. Also, I imagine the markup here is huge on the food served, as it seems to be of a rather low quality. I really don't know much about the dining cars so any information you guys can provide would add to the discussioin