PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — There aren’t many places at 30th Street Station these days for hungry travelers to get a bite to eat. The entire south side of the building — the side with all the restaurants — has been walled off for renovations since the beginning of the year.
The only food options available now are a Dunkin’, located up the ramp near the Regional Rail lines, and a makeshift Hudson vending kiosk in the main terminal.
“It was a little bit of a struggle. We had to ask, actually, where to find everything,” said Elizabeth Mesagno of Hershey, Pennsylvania.
With the old food court closed, she and many, many others lined up at Dunkin’.
“It was a little bit of a surprise,” she said. “With it being early in the morning, I was hoping I could get my daughter some breakfast, and that wasn’t the case.”
Drexel University student Maya Washburn was hoping for more choices.
“I think it’s a little ridiculous for a station that’s so big — Regional Rail and Amtrak and the subway all in one station — it seems that there should be a lot more,” she said.
Isabella Flynn of Northern Liberties agreed: “All of the other major cities that are on the East Coast have really decent train stations with a lot of options.”
In the next month or so, Amtrak said two temporary Pret a Manger shops will open up, offering bakery items and salads. When this phase of construction is finished in 2025, 20 new eating and retail options should be available.