A full-size BART train car has officially traded tracks for tap handles on B Street in downtown Hayward, where the team behind Arthur Mac’s is turning the 76-foot relic into the star attraction of what they say will be their biggest restaurant to date. The 65,000-pound car was hauled out of the Hayward BART yard and dropped into place by a 500-ton crane after a project the owners say has been about four years in the making. Arthur Mac’s Big Snack is slated to open this fall.
Co-owners Joel and Jordan DiGeorgio told KTVU they are leaning hard into nostalgia, aiming to make the interior feel like a 1990s time capsule. The plan is to keep the original BART upholstery and seats, so diners will essentially be eating and gaming in a frozen slice of transit history. According to the station, the move required federal permits and a complicated five-mile trip from the yard to downtown. KTVU also reports the cost of moving and restoring the car climbed from an initial $1.2 million estimate to roughly $2 million, and that the owners have put their Oakland location up for sale to help cover the Hayward build-out.
BART's legacy fleet program
The train car arrived in Hayward by way of BART’s Legacy Fleet Decommissioning program, which awarded retired cars to community groups and small businesses for upcycling, according to BART. The agency notes that recipients get the old cars for free, but they are on the hook for transportation, permits, and restoration, a combination that can turn even a single-car makeover into an expensive, slow-moving project.
Permits and the site
City planning documents show Arthur Mac’s submitted site-plan and building permits for 1060 B Street, describing a project called "Arthur Mac’s Big Snack" that features an outdoor restaurant with a beer garden, prefabricated kitchen modules, and an arcade and dining space inside the repurposed BART car, according to City of Hayward. The permit log indicates the proposal went into review in 2023 and remains active while construction and restoration continue on the site.
Inside the plan
The DiGeorgios say the train car will pull double duty as weatherproof seating and a retro video game arcade, paired with brick-oven pizza, hot wings, and a rotating lineup of local beers, offerings the restaurant already highlights on its own site. Those hits are core to the Arthur Mac’s brand at its other locations and are expected to anchor the Hayward spot once doors open.
What comes next
Hayward’s Economic Development Team and city officials have pitched the project as a spark for new foot traffic along B Street. City Council member Angela Andrews told KTVU she expects the eye-catching installation to give nearby businesses a boost as curious diners come to check out the train car. The owners say they are targeting an opening this fall and will spend the coming months finishing restoration work, securing remaining permits, and wrapping up construction on the site.
