Hence, the cracker barrel pictured directly in the store's logo:
Posted on 08/12/2025 6:13:30 PM PDT by DoodleBob
It has been a year since Cracker Barrel started renovating its formerly knick-knack-ridden restaurants, and fans are still angry.
The Southern-inspired part-restaurant, part-store chain announced a 3-year plan to “evolve” in May 2024. Yet, more than a year later, fans are still commenting their complaints on an Aug. 5, 2024, Instagram post about the restaurant’s “new look.”
The video has a Cracker Barrel district manager walking followers through the space’s changes, like new lighting, seating and paint color. As of this story’s publication, there are more than 2,000 comments on the video. Many of the comments are complaints about the new “bland” appearance, while others are compliments on the “modern” look. The mundane video continues to get (positive or negative) comments more than one year after posting.
The 56-year-old chain is inspired by old country stores and used to be decorated with brown-colored walls covered in antique farm tools and historical family portraits. According to a 2022 Cracker Barrel blog post, each store averaged between 950 and 1,000 authentic antiques per location.
The new appearance, which 40 locations have received as of May, according to The Wall Street Journal, has a fresh coat of white paint on the walls, modern light fixtures and antiques organized into shadow boxes.
A spokesperson at Cracker Barrel told PEOPLE on Monday, Aug. 11, “We are very pleased with the trajectory of our remodeled stores. Feedback from both guests and team members has been overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic about the refreshed dining and shopping experience. All of the elements of our remodels were informed by direct input from our guests and team members alike – these changes are for them.”
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
California Barrel.
Well, the fact is, it was broke. The customers who were are old or just dead.
Change is deemed necessary to attract a new generation of customers.
When on the road, I frequently eat at Cracker Barrel because it is always handy to my hotel. Most all the customers are gray heads or gray heads and middle agers.
I’ve never seen one or eaten at one. I like the old better than the new. I’m in southwestern Colorado. We have plenty of old style resteraunts that appeal to everyone.
It’s too bad that so many younger people today don’t appreciate the nostalgia the old presented.
I’m almost 75 and wouldn’t care to eat in the new, sterile and unappealing atmosphere.
“You have got to admit....FAR less dusting labor hours required in the remodeled restaurants.”
LOL, that would be true if they ever dusted. The one down here had crap hanging for years from the duct work overhead, and a sanitation rating of around 92/100. I generally won’t eat at one below 94 and thought this one was nasty, but on a trip to Wilmington we found one with a 91/100. On a ministry trip a couple of months ago we stopped in Flat Rock, NC for a night and visited the CB next to the motel for dinner. The biscuits were burnt, the main course was burnt, and the service was lousy.
Now we just eat at home.
It is better to eat at home if possible. In our area of North Carolina the restaurants are terrible.
The first picture is too busy. The second picture is a cleaner look. Of course, I never noticed the look one way or the other.
Looks like Joanne Gains remodeled it.
That woman has caused men more grief....
My first thought as well. They “Bud Lighted” themselves. And same rationale — “evovling.”
Hey, it's “curated!” /barf
“People” don’t like Cracker barrel because they perceive it is for conservative type people.
"My father used to say, If the front door of the restaurant is dirty...kitchen is dirty. Don't go in!" - Pres. Trump
I agree -- the store was better than the food, by far. Lots of good values, although I haven't been since the pandemic. First time I went to one years ago, I got a couple of CD albums of the Gaithers singing southern gospel that I've played in the car on road trips ever since.
CraicIn those southeastern regions, “cracker” historically had nothing whatsoever to do to with whips.
Hence, the cracker barrel pictured directly in the store's logo:
Pardon my typo == evolving
Every time a chain does this, they die. They change what makes them unique to be more like everybody else with a more generic look.
It eliminates the very thing that made them special.
“My adopted home town is Bastrop, LA. Country hick town near the Ouchita River north of Monroe. 90% black. Mostly farmers and papermill workers. Trump votes at 60% or better.”
The city of Bastrop is actually quite heavily Democrat, with many precincts voting over 90% or even over 95% against Trump as any city which is majority black (78% in this case) would naturally do.
COVID really did a number of them. They used to have good service but since COVID, they have trouble getting and keeping staff.
Wait times have increased. My wife always like to go there from time to time to shop before we ate.
Where did you get that? The town went Trump in 24.
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