Cracker Barrel's modern makeover leaves diners divided
FILE-Image of a Cracker Barrel Restaurant and Old Country Store. (Photo by Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Cracker Barrel is making some upgrades to its restaurants as it begins to phase out its old-fashioned decor for a modern look.
The Tennessee-based restaurant chain, known for its Southern cuisine, has transitioned to dining booths and booths and white walls.
Why is Cracker Barrel changing its restaurant’s look?
Dig deeper:
Cracker Barrel executives explained to The Wall Street Journal in May that the company felt giving its restaurants a makeover could help increase sales, attract new customers, and keep the business afloat in challenging economic circumstances.
In 2024, the company announced plans to remodel restaurants after Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino admitted the restaurant is "just not as relevant" as it used to be, the New York Post reported.
The Wall Street Journal reported that 40 of Cracker Barrel’s roughly 660 locations have completed some version remodeling in early May.
Consumers post social media videos about Cracker Barrel upgrades
The other side:
Several people hopped on social media to comment on Cracker Barrel’s new upgrades.
One TikTok user posted a look at the inside of her local Tennessee Cracker Barrel in an April video. "When Cracker Barrel took away the last piece of nostalgia you had left," she captioned a video of the restaurant’s updated interior.
When asked by the Wall Street Journal about Cracker Barrel’s new look, a longtime Cracker patron said "But opening the walls, lighter colors and atmosphere, it feels like something colder," Triana told the Wall Street Journal.
Another TikTok users shared related videos and feelings about the changes while some expressed appreciation for the fresh look.
"They've white washed the old country store 😭😭😭@Cracker Barrel you guys had a aesthetic. it was fine wtf is this I feel uncomfortable," another TikTok user posted.
"Fresh exterior paint-the whole building used to be dark brown. White walls, really bright and inviting!!! Bright white decor continued in the dining room. Open floor plan without the dark lattice walls," another user wrote captioned on TikTok.
A Colorado resident who often makes pit stops at Cracker Barrel restaurants during road trips, told the New York Post that she likes the new look, sharing that the previous restaurants looked "cluttered," "dark" and "dusty."
The Source: Information for this story was provided by The New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, and TikTok posts from users who shared videos of Cracker Barrel’s restaurant changes. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.