Something else is popping up…
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store restaurants have been around since 1969, nestled strategically off interstates to attract drivers with their convenience, southern hospitality, range of food options and affordable menu prices.
But Cracker Barrel may be losing its charm amid a physical makeover, according to some.
Rachel Love, a 38-year-old Tennessee resident and self-proclaimed Cracker Barrel fan, recently caught the restaurant chain’s attention with her social media video.
“When Cracker Barrel took away the last piece of nostalgia you had left,” Love captioned in a TikTok video last month as she showed the inside of an updated location.
Full article, HERE from Fox News.
Love them or hate them, they are much like Waffle House, McDonalds, and Chick-fil-A. Regardless of where you stopped, you knew what you were going to get food wise. Decent food, a decent price, and decent service for a sit down restaurant.
Yes, they have always been known for their ‘antiques’ that decorated their restaurants, providing a varied vista of ‘stuff’ for you and your kids to look at as you ate.
But apparently the ‘new’ makeover does away with most if not all of the antiques and nostalgia items, if the video is to be believed.
Personally, I don’t care as long as the food quality stays up, the menu is consistent, and the prices are reasonable. To me, they provide a stable alternative to fast food on a road trip, and are spaced far enough apart that you can pretty much find one either for lunch or supper, as desired.
For years, we’ve had the local Cracker Barrel on our Sunday morning rotation for breakfast for the gang, as we get good food for an affordable price, and decent service. I’d really hate to see that go away.
But that’s just me… Y’all have to make your own decisions…
Well, another one bites the dust. After reading the article, I went and looked up their new menu. Definitely some changes and higher prices. A simple cup of coffee is almost $5! The two staples, Meat loaf and Chicken and Dumplings are now $15 per plate. Most of the sample platters or combo plates are now in the 27-32 dollar range. Regular dinner meals are 18 – 22 dollars now. When you add it all up, you’re looking at $25-40 dollars per person now depending on meal, drinks, and/or dessert ordered.
I’m going to have to head down there this week and see what’s new. I still have a Cracker Barrel gift card I received for Christmas, might as well put it to use. I like Cracker Barrel, but this might kill it for me.
It’s a good first date place, because there’s lots to look at and talk about. The clutter is part of the charm. It feels like that house that one relative had. You’d think that Cracker Barrel would be doing well with the gift shop to help the bottom line.
Unfortunately, people who don’t understand the business seem to be in control now.
One of the commentators expressed it best. It’s turning into a Denny’s and that kills it for me. Also, the prices aren’t providing the value they used to.
+! Steve.
“Over the past year, we have been very transparent about our transformation platform,” Moore told Fox News Digital. “One of our strategies is really centered on that physical guest experience.”
Spoken like a MBA Marketing grad,change for change sake. I wonder what their focus group looked like. Doubt it included customers.
That was my exact thought. I hope it doesn’t become another Denny’s. Quit them 20-30 years ago.
Agreed. CB was a good ‘safe’ place to stop for road food. Usually on the way back when we didn’t want any more adventure, just a full belly to finish the trip on.
The place was dated, but serviceable. I’m skeptical if the modern bean counters won’t destroy that.
Thing is all of that antiques and stuff has/had a double purpose.
First as visual noise, a way to break the sterility of what would be a visually sterile place, just another blah building
Second as a noise barrier. All of that stuff splattered all over the walls, ceilings, wait staff serves to break up sound and either absorb it or fragment it all over the place.
You’ll go from a relatively noisy room where you are still able to understand what the people at your table are saying to trying to understand what one person next to you is saying over the hundreds of voices and other noise emitters making noise.
Eh, screw them. They’ve just Red Lobstered themselves.
Besides the MBA-speak, I wonder if some health department busy-body complained about the decor catching dust or germs or … something. Because that sounds like what a bureaucrat would do if he/she/it couldn’t find anything else to write up.
Well, sounds like they’re trying to kill it, intentionally or not.
I sometimes pass by the original Cracker Barrel, over on 109. It’s no longer a restaurant, but the building is still there.
I know nothing, but I do know that businesses are bought, taken over, refinanced, loans taken out against the company,asset stripped, ill managed and left to die. (((They, Mitt Romney types))) do it all the time.
Some people, like Jules, LOVE Cracker Barrell. I’ve always gone there under sufferance, but liked it when I did.
My mother scorns it, though, and she’s “old Texas.” Hmmmm. The LSP vote is out.
No one wants to dine in an operating room.
used to love them. haven’t eaten at one in years. quality was headed down, then covid killed it and the service. same for nearly all restaurants these days. at this point we have to drive an hour each way to eat at a decent pizza joint. no steakhouses left. bunch of “home cooking” places. if i wanted home cooking i wouldn’t be going out to eat. every menu carbon copy, never change, everything fried to a crisp. restaurants are a dying institution.
+riverrider – good point
Right from the deep freeze into the deep fryer and onto the plate. Then drop it onto the table. It doesn’t require a highly skilled crew to accomplish this. I wonder how much the $15/hour minimum wage contributes to this as restaurants are no longer hiring teens and training them in skills.
And to tie it into our Cracker Barrel subject, I’ve seen a lot more “dishes” that appear to follow that food prep path. Just a little premade gravy on top to hide the deep fried food. And the side dishes are straight out of the can as well.
riverrider and steve,
I say Bull Shit.You obviously don’t live in the Phoenix area, there are dozens of fine cafes, bistros, hole in the walls, and upscale restaurants to chose from and they don’t fry all their food.
well they are truly blessed in phoenix, though lacking good manners.
Jeez. I’ve always liked CB but I haven’t been to one in a while. Now I’m terrified of what I’ll find if I go into one in town here.
I still wonder what the heck happened to IHOP. It seemed to be doing all right, even though they had that stupid ‘IHOB’ attempt at a rebrand. Then it was like the service just fell through the floor and before you knew it half the locations were just gone.
The Covid Program killed a lot more than just people. It knocked Western Civ down several notches.