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That's only cause America doesn't know about Wawa. ;) Only PA, Southern NJ, DE, MD, VA and exclusive parts of FL. Ryan, AmtrakBlue, and Triley know about Wawa.
If Wawa can open their entire gas station food and drinks offerings, not just coffee, on Amtrak, I will be enticed to travel and throw my money at the cafe car so much more! :wub:
 
Well, just on Acela to start with. Supposed to be expanded to other NEC trains later this year.

I suppose they need to expand to the state supported and LD trains eventually, or we'll have dozens of threads complaining about NEC favoritism for coffee.

I do have to ask if Dunkin' coffee is any good? I've never been a big coffee drinker.
 
I do have to ask if Dunkin' coffee is any good? I've never been a big coffee drinker.
No idea if the coffee is any good but around here their donuts are dry and tasteless. Instead of being made fresh daily like in the infamous commercials they're delivered by truck as circles of stale bread from some massive commercial factory somewhere. Kind of like Twinkies, only rounder.
 
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Some people found their regular blend a bit mild, they added a dark roast option. Central commissary baking did two things around here raised the quality of the product at low volume or smaller stores where onsite baking was a problem, and lowered it at the larger locations. Most of the ones by me aren't bad, but fresh baked was better. To fit in all the equipment for the added items something had to go. Also, the regulatory (sanitation, safety, and storage compliance is very difficult to keep up with in a baking operation in a number of jurisdictions.
 
It is an extremely popular brand in the Northeast, and addition of the second blend silenced many of the coffee snobs. People are demanding better coffee, they vote with their feet, although it not an option on the train. McDonald's felt it in the breakfast business slipping a few years back, and made major improvements in their blend to keep the business that goes with the cup of coffee. A good cup of coffee with an average fast food breakfast item appears to be the direction most of the trade is heading in. Doesn't compare with a good sit down breakfast, but the lines at the drive thru, and the people carrying brown bags says something. Like it or not, that is the world we live in when we are talking urban and commuter suburb areas.
 
That's only cause America doesn't know about Wawa. ;) Only PA, Southern NJ, DE, MD, VA and exclusive parts of FL. Ryan, AmtrakBlue, and Triley know about Wawa.
As do I on the Space Coast!

Not that I care for their coffee any more or less than anyone else's. But they just opened a full gas station plus store within 5 mins of where I live.

Back in NJ when I lived down in Howell Township, there was a Wawa a short walk from my place in Ramtown manor.
 
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That's only cause America doesn't know about Wawa. ;) Only PA, Southern NJ, DE, MD, VA and exclusive parts of FL. Ryan, AmtrakBlue, and Triley know about Wawa.
As do I on the Space Coast!
Hey, you forgot me, too--one of the biggest Wawa fans! :) I have been saying for years that it would be wonderful if Wawa took over the Amtrak cafes--I'd actually go back to buying food in there again!

Dunkin Donuts is okay, but not up to Wawa standards. Plus (although it doesn't apply on the train), in Wawa you get to fix your own coffee and in Dunkin Donuts someone hands it to you, so no guarantee they'll get the amount of milk or whatever you add just right. I think $3.50 is too much to pay for it--it might be worth the $2.00 that Amtrak coffee cost.
 
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I remember when United Airlines had a partnership with Starbucks. They sounded so proud when they announced it over the PA. Even if it wasn't the best coffee ever at least it was a substantial improvement over the commissary brew that preceded it. Seemed to only last a couple years before UA ended their partnership and replaced Starbucks with something wholly undrinkable. Never tried Wawa myself but it sounds extremely popular here in the forum.
 
Not always the case, there are gas stations serving DD coffee where you fix your own Hess had tons of them, but when Marathon bought them (Speedway brand) they converted 100 to their in house brand (not bad though)
 
Dunkin Donuts is okay, but not up to Wawa standards. Plus (although it doesn't apply on the train), in Wawa you get to fix your own coffee and in Dunkin Donuts someone hands it to you, so no guarantee they'll get the amount of milk or whatever you add just right. I think $3.50 is too much to pay for it--it might be worth the $2.00 that Amtrak coffee cost.
Cream and sugar for coffee in Dunkin' stores is all done by machine so unless you like it at whatever settings the machine is capable of it'll never be just right.
 
I do have to ask if Dunkin' coffee is any good? I've never been a big coffee drinker.
No idea if the coffee is any good but around here their donuts are dry and tasteless. Instead of being made fresh daily like in the infamous commercials they're delivered by truck as circles of stale bread from some massive commercial factory somewhere. Kind of like Twinkies, only rounder.
Pretty generic. It's a smooth, easy drinking coffee. Not terribly offensive, but nothing that would impress a "specialty coffee" drinker. For the price I prefer McDonald's, since most locations sell any size for $1.

There's of course decent coffee available near Amtrak stations. I've boarded Amtrak with a cup from Peet's. If I'm willing to spend a bit more, maybe Blue Bottle. When Amtrak had a "station" next door to the San Francisco Ferry Building, there were excellent options for coffee.

Capitol Corridor uses Peerless Coffee from Oakland. I've been to their retail store in front of their roasting facility. The smell is pretty incredible. Even if you order tea or just hot water, they serve it in Peerless cups.

So why can't Amtrak serve Tim Hortons coffee?
 
I remember when United Airlines had a partnership with Starbucks. They sounded so proud when they announced it over the PA. Even if it wasn't the best coffee ever at least it was a substantial improvement over the commissary brew that preceded it. Seemed to only last a couple years before UA ended their partnership and replaced Starbucks with something wholly undrinkable. Never tried Wawa myself but it sounds extremely popular here in the forum.
Alaska Airlines still serves SB. Makes sense with the Seattle connection.
 
I remember when United Airlines had a partnership with Starbucks. They sounded so proud when they announced it over the PA. Even if it wasn't the best coffee ever at least it was a substantial improvement over the commissary brew that preceded it. Seemed to only last a couple years before UA ended their partnership and replaced Starbucks with something wholly undrinkable. Never tried Wawa myself but it sounds extremely popular here in the forum.
Alaska Airlines still serves SB. Makes sense with the Seattle connection.
As does Delta.
 
I do have to ask if Dunkin' coffee is any good? I've never been a big coffee drinker.
No idea if the coffee is any good but around here their donuts are dry and tasteless. Instead of being made fresh daily like in the infamous commercials they're delivered by truck as circles of stale bread from some massive commercial factory somewhere. Kind of like Twinkies, only rounder.
Pretty generic. It's a smooth, easy drinking coffee. Not terribly offensive, but nothing that would impress a "specialty coffee" drinker. For the price I prefer McDonald's, since most locations sell any size for $1.

There's of course decent coffee available near Amtrak stations. I've boarded Amtrak with a cup from Peet's. If I'm willing to spend a bit more, maybe Blue Bottle. When Amtrak had a "station" next door to the San Francisco Ferry Building, there were excellent options for coffee.

Capitol Corridor uses Peerless Coffee from Oakland. I've been to their retail store in front of their roasting facility. The smell is pretty incredible. Even if you order tea or just hot water, they serve it in Peerless cups.

So why can't Amtrak serve Tim Hortons coffee?
I forgot all about Tim Hortons! Only coffee I ever had that was better than Wawas :) --there was a Tim Hortons in Mystic, CT, for a short (too short) time, but they decided it wasn't cost-effective I think, and closed.
 
Tim Horton's is, or at least was, a Canadian company. I am almost sure that someone well known said "Buy American".
 
Tim Hortons and Dunkin Donuts are totally equal to my tastes. Both coffee and donuts.

Which to me means they are just fine... Nothing amazing, I would prefer Starbucks, but better than nothing.
 
Tim Hortons and Dunkin Donuts are totally equal to my tastes. Both coffee and donuts.

Which to me means they are just fine... Nothing amazing, I would prefer Starbucks, but better than nothing.
I prefer Peet's or Blue Bottle, but I guess that's just me.

I can deal with all sorts of styles of coffee. But when you're talking Tim Hortons vs Dunkin Donuts, I find they're the same price, which means Tim Hortons is cheaper since I'm paying in Canadian dollars. I've never been to a Tim Hortons outside of Canada. I've seen some listings for "Tim Hortons" in the San Francisco Bay Area, but they're basically snack bars at ice rinks that are associated with the San Jose Sharks. Apparently all they have is coffee, and it may just be brewed with whatever generic equipment they have on hand.
 
Tim Hortons and Dunkin Donuts are totally equal to my tastes. Both coffee and donuts.

Which to me means they are just fine... Nothing amazing, I would prefer Starbucks, but better than nothing.
I prefer Peet's or Blue Bottle, but I guess that's just me.

I can deal with all sorts of styles of coffee. But when you're talking Tim Hortons vs Dunkin Donuts, I find they're the same price, which means Tim Hortons is cheaper since I'm paying in Canadian dollars. I've never been to a Tim Hortons outside of Canada. I've seen some listings for "Tim Hortons" in the San Francisco Bay Area, but they're basically snack bars at ice rinks that are associated with the San Jose Sharks. Apparently all they have is coffee, and it may just be brewed with whatever generic equipment they have on hand.
Well yeah I'm not going to walk past a Blue Bottle to get to a Starbucks that's for sure. Unless I was broke.. that blue bottle ain't cheap!

What sets Starbucks apart from the Dunkin, McDonalds, Hortons, etc... is that it is an actual coffee shop. If you go to a Starbucks with Reserves, you should absolutely be able to find a good tasting coffee. You may need to order a pour over, or a french press, or get it brewed on the Clover but it's possible.

The Tim Hortons in Dearborn MI (conveniently located in the Amtrak Parking lot!) is a full service Hortons just like the ones I've been to in Canada so they do exist.
 
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