This Brand Won’t Get Stale!

What brand? Cracker Barrel, of course!  Any MULO (multi-location) brand can all get a bit soggy or rancid with time. However, savvy brands must get ahead of the aging process and bring in fresh talent to keep their traffic and revenue appealing.

Cracker Barrel, which was founded in 1969,  is leaning into that trend and recently announced a significant ($700 million) investment in updates to its 660-store operation.

Led by Julie Masino, the CEO (formerly of Taco Bell), the three-year overhaul will include dinner menu updates, cosmetic changes, and a new ad campaign.

As consumers become more price-conscious, Cracker Barrel is able to respond to their needs. According to one report, “Cracker Barrel’s average check for the quarter was $15 per person. That is lower than the industry average for both casual dining, which is $28, and family dining — $18.”

Cracker Barrel’s concept can potentially withstand the test of time and appeal to whole new generations of travelers and comfort food fans.

The MULO restaurant:

• Has many locations right off the exits of major thoroughfares. As we know from the C-store boom, hungry travelers are always looking for high-quality options for resting and refreshing, filling both their tanks (or EV charges) and their stomachs.
• Was one of the first-ever “eatertainment” brands. A general store is located at the entrance and the “peg game” at the tables can keep families occupied while waiting for their food.
• Offers a digital awards program via its app and has expanded its “country store” vibe into a wide range of other merch, including apparel and home decor items.

Bringing in talent from another highly successful food brand is one of the keys to relevancy and best practices in a rapidly changing world.

If well played, anything old can be new again. Newstalgia has been named one of the hot trends of 2025. That means leveraging old favorites and putting a new spin on them can attract a whole new range of shoppers, diners, or service consumers.

Those of us who grew up with Cracker Barrel and introduced it to our kids can now pay it forward by introducing it to our grandkids, too. We suspect that Instagrammers will be stopping by in droves to capture their old-school moments using next-gen digital media.

Speaking of which, you can even now download the peg game on your phone. But it plays better with one of these old-school top 10 menu items!