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 ...
Yes, the food’s gone downhill. I ate lunch there about 6 years ago and it was not good.
Is that anything like the Balmer, “downeeocean?”
The old way of decorating was the only thing good about Cracker Barrel.
They broke it by messing around with the menu and running off customers. Their solution is to make even more changes.
What? It is named for a barrel that held soda crackers in the old style general stores. Literally a "cracker barrel."
Some seem to think that it refers to "soda crackers", which are actually tan but no matter, as a slur for white people. Which may be the case now but was not the case when Cracker Barrel came to be. The "old country store" bit should clue you in to the fact the name comes from the cracker barrel that was a staple of the country store along with the pickle barrel and the cheese block.
As for you "asking for friend" Doubtful.
The CEO is trying to rebuild for the future. I don’t agree with her approach, here’s why:
1. CB has an exiting/loyal customer base
2. Decor is not the reason sales are declining
3. Spend the remodeling investment on food quality and service delivery
DITTO !
All I care is, is the food good.
They need something better to distract people from the really crappy “food” they serve.
I agree with your assessment of the decor. But I do enjoy their food, and I love to browse the giftshop.
Cracker Barrel is a poor man’s Po’ Folks.
Fag Beer Bud Light
Fag uar
Lame Cracker Barrel
Since 2019.....
Just wondering, when did Cracker Barrel
start doing their LGBTQ+ Pride Flag
Rocking Chairs?
And then there was Nazi Fauci’s
COVID-19(84)
I hope they made more room in the dining area- I do not want to sit on top of the next table.
CB is expensive for meh food anyways.
The one closest to me, took down a sound wall and it’s much louder now.
The people who are complaining and don’t like the new look can just vote with their dollars and not patronize them. If enough people do that, it might make corporate re-think their actions.
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