Cracker Barrel Old Country Store restaurants are known for a certain aesthetic: Walls lined with antiques and tools, homestyle cooking and its signature peg game.
But the chain is nearly a year into a three-year transformation in an effort to appeal to more diners. Along with refreshing its restaurants with a brighter, more modern feel, the changes include updating the menu and simplifying cooking processes for green beans, bacon and other eats. The trick will be keeping Cracker Barrel loyalists who prefer the country feel, a view some are making known on social media, while bringing in new customers, a particularly tall order as American consumers are feeling rattled by tariff changes and renewed fears of a recession.
Cracker Barrel executives think diners will come if the chain hits the right mix of value, convenience, quality food and service and a welcoming atmosphere. “We’re working on all of those,” said Finance Chief Craig Pommells.
So far, Cracker Barrel customers and employees have generally responded well to the changes, which are in various phases of implementation. Same-store restaurant sales have been positive for three consecutive quarters, up 4.7% for the three months ended Jan. 31 compared with a year earlier. Guest traffic, however, fell, dropping 2.7% in the latest period, but has improved since the transformation plan was announced a year ago.
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