Passenger Trains > Amtrak Plans Food Hall at Chicago Union Station

Amtrak plans to open a new food hall at Chicago Union Station. It will be located on the west side of the Great Hall and feature a new entrance and restored windows along Clinton Street.
Chicago Tribune (may be behind paywall): https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-union-station-food-hall-20190807-ayvroao5uvdjrd5itp7kgirpwe-story.html
ABC 7 News: https://abc7chicago.com/food/union-station-could-soon-get-a-high-end-food-court-officials-say/5451150/

Another $10 million project but still nothing being done for the platforms and concourse area.

 

Maybe it will feature contemporary dining options....

Dave

This is their new commissary to stock their trains.  It will guarantee fresh and contemporary choices.  Yup.

About time! The food court at nearby Northwestern Station has always been superior to CUS.

Passengers will need this to take meals to their trains. For the money they are spending on this, couldn't that be used to continue traditional dining services on the LD trains? 

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> Passengers will need this to take meals to their
> trains. For the money they are spending on this,
> couldn't that be used to continue traditional
> dining services on the LD trains? 

Yes, because Amtrak stated cutting the diner on the LSL and CL would save $3 million per year. But that would not fulfill their goal of lowering ticket revenue. 

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> andersonb109 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Passengers will need this to take meals to
> their
> > trains. For the money they are spending on
> this,
> > couldn't that be used to continue traditional
> > dining services on the LD trains? 
>
> Yes, because Amtrak stated cutting the diner on
> the LSL and CL would save $3 million per year. But
> that would not fulfill their goal of lowering
> ticket revenue. 

How much rent will be collected from what was an empty space?

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> andersonb109 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Passengers will need this to take meals to
> their
> > trains. For the money they are spending on
> this,
> > couldn't that be used to continue traditional
> > dining services on the LD trains? 
>
> Yes, because Amtrak stated cutting the diner on
> the LSL and CL would save $3 million per year. But
> that would not fulfill their goal of lowering
> ticket revenue. 

Lower ticket revenue? That 3 milion saved will be bull crap because they're already losing ridership!

DavidP Wrote:
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> Maybe it will feature contemporary dining
> options....
>
> Dave

BINGO!!!!!

DevalDragon Wrote:
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> About time! The food court at nearby Northwestern
> Station has always been superior to CUS.

And the French Market (also known as "Metra Market") under the Ogilvie Transportation Center tracks is vastly superior to that food court.  Was there in June and had an amazing pastrami sandwich for lunch.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/08/19 19:00 by RuleG.

Will these be unionized restaurants?

If not, will railfans boycott?

Duna Wrote:
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> Will these be unionized restaurants?
>
> If not, will railfans boycott?


They need a Great Sit-down Place like Denny's or I-Hop that serve 3 Meals a Day.

Don't care what it's like, just so I can still get a good Chicago Dog there.

But yes, you can probably get better stuff at the Ogilvie terminal.

Think about the obvious though. Amtrak could try to leverage "Food Hall Plans" to furnish meals to the LD trains that just need to be re-heated. Close to how the Ocean did out of Halifax with partnering with the neighboring hotel. 

Typhoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> joemvcnj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > andersonb109 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Passengers will need this to take meals to
> > their
> > > trains. For the money they are spending on
> > this,
> > > couldn't that be used to continue traditional
> > > dining services on the LD trains? 
> >
> > Yes, because Amtrak stated cutting the diner on
> > the LSL and CL would save $3 million per year.
> But
> > that would not fulfill their goal of lowering
> > ticket revenue. 
>
> How much rent will be collected from what was an
> empty space?

Continuing on that thought, what happens to the space of the current food court ? 

DevalDragon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> About time! The food court at nearby Northwestern
> Station has always been superior to CUS.

Pretty much everything at Ogilvie Transportation Center is superior to CUS, at least for Metra commuters.

Typhoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How much rent will be collected from what was an
> empty space?

Don't know and with a number of food halls already in the area, I hope there won't be too many empty stalls.

railcity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They need a Great Sit-down Place like Denny's or
> I-Hop that serve 3 Meals a Day.

Umm no, just no.

calumet Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Don't care what it's like, just so I can still get
> a good Chicago Dog there.
>
> But yes, you can probably get better stuff at the
> Ogilvie terminal.

Except for a hot dog.  

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Continuing on that thought, what happens to the
> space of the current food court ? 

Since the current food court is on the route the overwhelming majority of Metra riders use to get in and out of CUS, I suspect the mezzanine food court is safe.

And I'm still waiting for all the platform and concourse improvements that have been talked about for years. 

They can't keep conrete chunks from falling onto people on the platforms, but they are building another food court. 

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> They can't keep conrete chunks from falling onto
> people on the platforms, but they are building
> another food court. 

Exactly!

Careful... you mean under the Ogilvie terminal (the French Market), not the inadequate "food court" on the first floor of Accenture Tower, right?  (that's the new name of 500 W. Madison -- formerly Citigroup Center -- as of early July)