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Prime Rib & Boxcars. Whatever Happened To Victoria Station?

In December, 1969, three young graduates of the renowned hotel school at Cornell University opened a prime rib restaurant in San Francisco called Victoria Station. Constructed of six train cars and located along the Embarcadero not from from Fishermen's Wharf, Victoria Station gained instant notoriety.

Within weeks, it became the most popular restaurant in the City by the Bay, fueled by San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen's rave reviews. Soon, the young owners started to expand their unique train car concept nationwide. They contacted the author, Tom Blake, and hired him to become a future restaurant manager. "But I have no restaurant experience Blake told them."

"We'll teach you," they told Blake. On day one of his employment, Blake knew he had landed in the land of opportunity.

Over the next eight years, the company grew to 100 units nationwide achieving sales in excess of $100,000,000.

For a period of time, Victoria Station was the fastest-growing company in the United States and its employees were the envy of the restaurant industry.

But to sustain such incredible growth, important business principles were compromised and the high-flying train started to grind to its unnecessary demise.

Author Tom Blake, a Victoria Station executive for eight years, reveals his very personal journey from landing a dream job and living a dream life until the chinks in the armor started to appear. Told with humor and brutal honesty, Blake describes the rise and fall of the highly visible chain. Of particular interest is how his friendship with Johnny Cash came about and how Victoria Station hired Cash to do its radio commercials.

When you finish this book, you'll know the answer to the question, "Whatever happened to Victoria Station? And you'll say, "That would have been a fun train ride to experience." You will also realize that what happened didn't have to happen.

In December, 1969, three young graduates of the renowned hotel school at Cornell University opened a prime rib restaurant in San Francisco called Victoria Station. Constructed of six train cars and located along the Embarcadero not from from Fishermen's Wharf, Victoria Station gained instant notoriety.

Within weeks, it became the most popular restaurant in the City by the Bay, fueled by San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen's rave reviews. Soon, the young owners started to expand their unique train car concept nationwide. They contacted the author, Tom Blake, and hired him to become a future restaurant manager. "But I have no restaurant experience Blake told them."

"We'll teach you," they told Blake. On day one of his employment, Blake knew he had landed in the land of opportunity.

Over the next eight years, the company grew to 100 units nationwide achieving sales in excess of $100,000,000.

For a period of time, Victoria Station was the fastest-growing company in the United States and its employees were the envy of the restaurant industry.

But to sustain such incredible growth, important business principles were compromised and the high-flying train started to grind to its unnecessary demise.

Author Tom Blake, a Victoria Station executive for eight years, reveals his very personal journey from landing a dream job and living a dream life until the chinks in the armor started to appear. Told with humor and brutal honesty, Blake describes the rise and fall of the highly visible chain. Of particular interest is how his friendship with Johnny Cash came about and how Victoria Station hired Cash to do its radio commercials.

When you finish this book, you'll know the answer to the question, "Whatever happened to Victoria Station? And you'll say, "That would have been a fun train ride to experience." You will also realize that what happened didn't have to happen.

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