7/28/2019 2013 06 18 Congressman-stop Amtrak Chefs Dishing Up Lavish Meals

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday June 18, 2013Brian Waldrip (202) 225-4035

Press Release

MICA: STOP AMTRAK CHEFS DISHING UP LAVISH MEALS

TAXPAYERS FOOT NEARLY ONE BILLION DOLLAR LOSS

Washington, DCAccording to recent media reports, Amtrak has brought onboard award-winning chefsfrom across the country while their losses on food service remain staggering.

United States Representative and former Chair of the House Transportation Committee John Mica said,Despite Amtrak food service losses over the past eleven years now topping $906 million dollars, MasterGourmet Chefs continue to dish up recipes for costly gourmet train cuisine.

With a $72 million food service loss in 2012, its time for Congress to stem the financial bleeding from chef-inspired gourmet meals on Amtraks money losing routes. I intend to have our Government OperationsSubcommittee investigate these outrageous expenditures and have asked Rail Subcommittee Chairman JeffDenham to also review these practices. With a total $1.4 billion Amtrak taxpayer subsidy for just the last year,extravagant chef-designed dishes need to be considered for the chopping block, Mica added.

Some Amtrak long-distance trains that feature these gourmet menus lose more than $400 per passenger ticket.Despite federal law that passed in 1981 mandating Amtrak break even on its food and beverage service by1982, Amtrak has gone gourmet with renowned Seattle Master Chef andJames Beard Awardwinner TomDouglas and other high-end chefs cooking up costly recipes for Amtrak dishes. Other high-end chef advisorsinclude Michel Richard, Master Chef of Washington, D.C.s Centralrestaurant and Sara Jenkins RusticItalian Specialties, featured in New York Citys East Village restaurantsPorchetta andPorsena.

Even with long-distance losses mounting, Amtrak retains Executive Chef Daniel Malzhan who designs menuselections for long-distance routes. These heavily subsidized routes whose losses continue to mount currentlyfeature lamb shank and spice-rubbed Atlantic salmon filet. These entrees are featured on Amtraks SunsetLimited East, California Zephyr and Southwest Chief routes, all of which lost more money on food and

beverage service in 2012 than the previous year.

In 2012, every Amtrak passenger ticket sold was underwritten $46 by taxpayers, while money losing lovetrain snacks were featured on Acela Northeast Corridor routes. Additionally, taxpayers subsidize everyhamburger $4.37 and every soda sold is underwritten by taxpayers by $1.40. The Subcommittee onGovernment Operations also intends to look at the costs to taxpayers to annually fund Amtraks ChefsConclave in Wilmington, Delaware.

Rep. Mica concluded, Taxpayers would choke if they knew the costs of these gourmet meals.

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