""I'm from Downers Grove," a rider named Mohamed, Mo for short, told me. "So, I basically ride Metra every day to school over at the University of Chicago. I think [the Café Car] is a really good idea. It's a good way to bring in some extra revenue for Metra, and it's also nice to have some tables and everything. It really reminds me of the Amtrak service, where they have that whole dining area. So, I think it's a really good idea to get people to come on here.""
"During this trial run, the Café Car serves cold brew, coffee, soft drinks, water, chips, cookies, granola bars, and snack crackers. Working the counter was Elaine Teter, the director of marketing at Metra. "I needed to make sure I understood what people wanted," she explained. In order to get an idea of what riders would like to see in this carriage, everyone who rides the Café Car is given a QR code to fill out a survey. Participants are thanked with complimentary refreshments."
Metra tested a prototype Café Car this fall on its highest-ridership rail lines and stations, featuring coffee-shop counters, tables, and seating. The initial week ran on the Rock Island line; the current week ran on the BNSF Line between Union Station and Aurora, with some stops in Riverside. The pilot serves cold brew, coffee, soft drinks, water, chips, cookies, granola bars, and snack crackers. Metra marketing director Elaine Teter staffed the counter, gathered rider preferences via QR-code surveys, and offered complimentary refreshments. Early rider feedback has been largely positive and has generated ideas for future improvements.
Read at Streetsblog
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