Cracker Barrel isn’t done making headlines.
The American restaurant and gift store chain — formally known as Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. — announced Tuesday that it will no longer remodel its restaurants after receiving customer complaints.
“You’ve shared your voices in recent weeks not just on our logo, but also on our restaurants. We’re continuing to listen. Today, we’re suspending our remodels,” the company said in a post made on X. “If your restaurant hasn’t been remodeled, you don’t need to worry, it won’t be.”
Cracker Barrel’s redesign, first announced on Instagram last August, envisioned a more open-concept restaurant with comfortable seating, brighter lights and bookcases while still keeping some of its most signature decor, like the stone fireplaces. The redesign earned mixed reactions from patrons, with some expressing excitement and others slamming the new concept, urging Cracker Barrel to “go back to the original look.”
Just this past month, a representative for Cracker Barrel told ABC News in a statement, “We are very pleased with the trajectory of our remodeled stores. Feedback from both guests and team members has been overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic about the refreshed dining and shopping experience. All of the elements of our remodels were informed by direct input from our guests and team members alike — these changes are for them.”
Cracker Barrel previously said it hoped to test the new design on 25 to 30 restaurants out of its 660 total locations. But in its recent update, the company said only four restaurants had been redesigned.
“The vintage Americana you love will always be here — the rocking chairs on the porch, our fireplaces and peg games, unique treasures in our gift shop and antiques pulled straight from our warehouse in Lebanon, Tennessee,” Cracker Barrel said in a statement posted on its website. “We want you to have a warm, welcoming space for friends and family to gather and enjoy our craveable food and country hospitality.
“With our recent announcement that our ‘Old Timer’ logo will remain, along with our bigger focus in the kitchen and on your plate, we hope that today’s step reinforces that we hear you.”
