Here's the problem I see with the food aspect of WorldClubs:

a) It's not expensive to provide "continental breakfast/lunch/dinner". 2* hotels that charge you $40 per night (even less using Priceline, et. al.) can manage to offer juice, pastries, cereal, fruit, etc. Why can't an airline lounge do the same? I know I will often times opt for a hotel chain simply because I know they offer a decent continental breakfast and that will save me some time in the morning and some convenience. [Remember--for those of you thinking just eat in the hotel instead of the club--that not everyone visiting a lounge woke up in a hotel that morning]

b) They don't want you bringing in outside food. I wouldn't have much of an issue with the lack of food options from the club itself if they didn't frown upon people bringing in Subway/Quiznos/etc. But they do. And I know I could sneak it into the club, but why face glares of other club members who think you're "dirtying up their club" or face a scolding from a WorldClub agent?

c) Others can do it, why not NW? As stated above, the Asian and European lounges seem to be able to offer food, let alone a food selection. I know, I know, there's cultural differences, etc. etc. But I think it's something that wouldn't be so incredibly foreign for the domestic clubs here in the U.S. to do, and I don't think it would blow people's minds. In fact, they might be pleased, pleased enough to renew their membership, or even recruit friends. And that means more money to NW, which is in the end what it all boils down to.

WorldClubs are a cash cow for NW. They've been and still are extremely profitable. Why not keep enhancing the clubs to make our (relatively) expensive memberships worth it? If need be, stop granting so much access to the clubs (via AmEx, PriorityPass, etc.). Or, raise the rates $25-50/year. NW already has some of the cheapest domestic lounge membership options, and I doubt I'd eat $50 worth of food in a year, at least at the bulk prices NW would be paying.

Sorry, the food thing is one of my little pet peeves. I'm not a big foodie or someone that needs to eat every 2 hours or a cheapskate, but when I'm paying for the lounge membership, if I get to the airport early enough to hang out there, I'd not like to have to leave to go get food and come back. It's just an irritation, especially since when I travel internationally, I usually don't have this problem in WorldClub partner lounges.