The dining experience will be very different.
For decades, Cracker Barrel has been a go-to spot to get typical American eats for an affordable price. But in CEO Julie Felss Masino's own words, the chain is "not as relevant" as it once was. As a result, the company is implementing a three-year plan to revive the brand amid sagging sales.
Masino spoke about the changes in a July 25 interview with CNBC.
"Fiscal [year] ’25, which starts for us in another week or two, is really an investment year," she said. "We’ve got five pillars in our plan, we’re really bringing those together, starting to get those rocking and rolling, and then we’ll start to see the benefits in the back half of our fiscal ’26 and into ’27."
It'll be a multi-pronged approach to get more customers through the doors in the next few years. The company plans to remodel locations, try new dishes, and improve technology for its loyalty program and to-go meal business to make the customer experience more enjoyable. As for what the new Cracker Barrels will look like, they're testing out four different designs in Tennessee to determine "which level of investment is going to drive the right return."
It also plans on "the largest menu test in the history of the brand" as more than 20 items will be added to the menu to see what sticks. The new options will be available in locations across the country starting in early August.
"Our goal is to take what people love about Cracker Barrel and open the aperture a little bit so that more people love Cracker Barrel," she said of the reasoning behind the changes. "So we want to appeal to all generations."
Next time you stop in to Cracker Barrel, see if you notice anything different.
