Every Cracker Barrel I’ve passed up and down I-95 and I-75 has a full parking lot, restaurant and store. Not sure how failing it is/was or all its customers are dead yet.
Families on long-haul drives are looking for a familiar place to stop and relax; they want a restaurant that they know, with a menu that they know the kids will eat, and has clean restroom facilities and a safe environment with plenty of distractions for their tired or restless children.
I remember as a child eating at a Howard Johnson's and they gave us crayons and placemats with connect-the-dot drawings and puzzle mazes to keep us occupied while we waited for our food. Cracker Barrel has little peg puzzles and tic-tac-toe and checker boards at the restaurant to keep the tired and cranky kids entertained. The country store is a place for kids to explore and maybe get a toy to play with at the table and in the car.
-PJ