Cracker Barrel is in a battle for relevancy. One of its solutions is surprising
CNN
Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino recently gave a devastatingly frank assessment of the brand: “We’re just not as relevant as we once were.”
Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino recently gave a devastatingly frank assessment of the brand: “We’re just not as relevant as we once were.” Masino, who became CEO in July, laid out the diagnosis — and the remedies — in a May presentation to analysts. And it raises questions for those accustomed to the brand’s biscuits and gravy, wooden tables and chairs, brain puzzler games and front porch rocking chairs. “The way we communicate, the things on the menu, the way the stores look and feel … all of these things came up time and time again in our research as opportunities for us to really regain relevancy,” she said. The revamped Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (the brand’s full name) could include remodeled restaurants with bookcases instead of lattice dividers and brand new banquette seating. New Cracker Barrels might be smaller restaurants altogether, with menus that include new items like green chili cornbread and banana pudding. Customers may see brighter interiors with simpler decor, a move away from the typical cozy clutter. Those changes are still just being tested. One new thing happening now? Discounted dinner from 4 to 6 p.m. Why would Cracker Barrel, so desperate for relevancy, lean into a tactic typically used to attract senior citizens? Partially because many people are eating early these days. And partially because it’s looking for a quick fix.
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