What South Coast Rail Can Learn From New Bedford’s Candela Cucina

We were promised a train ride to Boston.  Instead, we're getting bus rides on Route 24.  Something is wrong with South Coast Rail.  We feel hoodwinked.

New Bedford's Candela Cucina had their grand opening back in January. They invited the usual politicians, business owners, and media to rub elbows and sample some of their delicious Italian food. It was a huge hit and set them off and running.

Imagine Showing Up for Dinner — and Finding Darkness

Now imagine deciding to try the restaurant a couple of weeks after the grand opening. You invite another couple to join you. You arrange for the babysitter, put on a nice outfit, and even peruse the online menu — you’ve already decided what you want. You can almost taste the chicken parmigiana as you ride down Route 18 to dinner.

When you pull into the parking lot, however, you realize something is a little off. The restaurant is in complete darkness. Just for kicks, you walk over and try to open the door, but it's locked up tight. How weird, right? It's Saturday night. The place should be packed with people enjoying cocktails and Italian food.

As you leave, you notice another car pulling into the parking lot with the same puzzled look. Another disappointed carload of people.

Then it happens the following weekend again.  And again.  And again.

What Candela Cucina Got Right — and South Coast Rail Did Not

Thankfully, nothing like this happened with Candela Cucina.

But this is exactly what’s happening with South Coast Rail. The transportation business is built on dependability. If you don't have that, you've got nothing. People need to know they can rely on you to get them to the big meeting in Boston or the big game at Fenway.

Make them late? Don't show up? Load them onto a godforsaken bus? You lose your dependability, and you lose it fast.

Can South Coast Rail Win Back Trust?

Dependability isn’t something people easily forget, especially when it’s broken.
Missed trains and frustration are what people will remember, and what they’ll talk about with their friends.

Can South Coast Rail overcome this terrible start? Of course they can. But they are going to have to earn that trust back, and it won't happen overnight.

It's hard when you crave chicken parm and end up offered a hot dog instead.  That's not something you soon forget.