Cracker Barrel has fallen

Interesting you bring up First Watch. I talked to an employee of mine yesterday. She's married, about 40, has two kids, age about 16 and 13. She said that the four of them went to breakfast there and it cost them a hundred bucks. Bill was $86, then they add on tip and they're out a hundred bucks just for a family breakfast. Crazy

Maybe I'm an overeater, but their portions are a joke too.
 
Their first mistake was thinking they needed a darn consulting firm to decide the direction of the company. If you don’t have your own vision of your core business brand; you shouldn’t be in that business IMHO

They needed that outside of branding. Their most reliable demographic is quite literally dying off.
 
A lot.

When I was young it was a main fixture after church. It was always a great meal and the cost was fair. Now it’s one step above high school cafeteria food. Sides suck.

I ate at first watch today. 11 dollar power wrap with fruit. Fruit was fresh and not full of apples. Had like pineapple etc. Wrap was 10/10 and my server was quick and food was quick.

I used to love the uncle Hershel’s but now I hate it as much as the CEO does.
We went a few weeks ago after not having been in awhile. One of the menu items was something like "Unbelievable Sausage" which caught my attention. It was unbelievable all right. Vegetarian sausage. Seems a contradiction in terms.
 
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So, what do you do here?
Focus on food quality above all else. The rest takes care of itself.
Look at the best country BBQ joints. Often they have plywood walls, All kinds of old tattered signs and posters on the wall; uneven and wobbly tales; but they never lack for business. Because the food is always the draw; not the decor or signage
 
We went a few weeks ago after not having been in awhile. One of the menu items was something like "Unbelievable Sausage" which caught my attention. It was unbelievable all right. Vegetarian sausage. Seems a contradiction in terms.
About as useless as „alcohol free beer“
 
They needed that outside of branding. Their most reliable demographic is quite literally dying off.
Yes, failures on both ends. CB because they somehow didn't strategize how to bridge the gap between meeting their old base while they carved out a new one. The consulting firm because they didn't help CB strategize and implement that gap.

The best way to implement their vision, IMO, would have been to keep legacy stores as is with gradual changes over time. New CB's built would be to the newer spec.
 
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Focus on food quality above all else. The rest takes care of itself.
Look at the best country BBQ joints. Often they have plywood walls, All kinds of old tattered signs and posters on the wall; uneven and wobbly tales; but they never lack for business. Because the food is always the draw; not the decor or signage
1. It was a poorly built reference to the Office Space Bobs. lol
2. You are absolutely correct. Some of my favorite restaurants are hole in the wall Mexican restaurants that you pray for gastro-protection before going in the first time.
 
Yes, failures on both ends. CB because they somehow didn't strategize how to bridge the gap between meeting their old base while they carved out a new one. The consulting firm because they didn't help CB strategize and implement that gap.

The best way to implement their vision, IMO, would have been to keep legacy stores as is with gradual changes over time. New CB's built would be to the newer spec.

Surprising the consulting firms had not thought of this before and made a similar presentation to CB's board. Either they did and the board said no, full steam ahead with our current idiotic plans or they just go along to get along while taking CB's money.
 
Focus on food quality above all else. The rest takes care of itself.
Look at the best country BBQ joints. Often they have plywood walls, All kinds of old tattered signs and posters on the wall; uneven and wobbly tales; but they never lack for business. Because the food is always the draw; not the decor or signage
That's cause we he man real men like BBQ from "simpler is better" locations.
I don't get the beef with the signage though. Big dam deal. Who Gives a ****. It's the food that sucks now.
 
That's cause we he man real men like BBQ from "simpler is better" locations.
I don't get the beef with the signage though. Big dam deal. Who Gives a ****. It's the food that sucks now.
The beef when the signage and remodel was that to many of us; it appeared that they were ashamed of their history and of Southern Culture
 
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We went a few weeks ago after not having been in awhile. One of the menu items was something like "Unbelievable Sausage" which caught my attention. It was unbelievable all right. Vegetarian sausage. Seems a contradiction in terms.
Germans would not be amused. They know sausage. There are even sausage vending machines there now
IMG_2782.jpeg
 
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The beef when the signage and remodel was that to many of us; it appeared that they were ashamed of their history and of Southern Culture
I have a wife who is a decorator. She remodels for the sake of remodeling.
Every body wears overalls. We have relatives in Michigan who wear them.
The food was terrible the last time we ate there. 2-3 years ago.
 
Refreshing a decades old brand is important to stay relevant. No one wants to Red Lobster themselves. Which is how that brand killed itself. Core consumer got old and died. The never refreshed and connected with younger audiences. You also have to know your identity. The country store portion of CB is huge for them. So screwing with the inside/decor probably not wise. Just outside sign I doubt anyone notices. Like I've said before they should screw with lighting, music, and furniture
 
Refreshing a decades old brand is important to stay relevant. No one wants to Red Lobster themselves. Which is how that brand killed itself. Core consumer got old and died. The never refreshed and connected with younger audiences. You also have to know your identity. The country store portion of CB is huge for them. So screwing with the inside/decor probably not wise. Just outside sign I doubt anyone notices. Like I've said before they should screw with lighting, music, and furniture

I think #1 should be (should've been) focusing on quality of the food.
 
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