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I went to Cracker Barrel and saw why the restaurant chain is ‘not as relevant’ as it once was

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2 weeks ago

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You’ll often find the chain right off freeway exits. For decades, that’s made them appealing to people making long drives searching for a hot, sit-down meal and a break from the road.

But that strategy hasn’t worked well over the last few years.

“We’re just not as relevant as we once were,” CEO Julie Masino told investors on a call last month.

Masino added that the chain is “refreshing and refining” several aspects of its operations, from marketing to the atmosphere in its restaurants.

So far, that’s included offering dinner specials in the late afternoon to appeal to diners who want to eat earlier.

Cracker Barrel is also testing a new layout for its locations that is “lighter, brighter, fresher and cleaner,” Masino said. The layout includes bookcases instead of the chain’s traditional momento-covered dividers. The company has also added booths to its seating options.

But for now, most of its stores still have the old-timey decor and wooden seats that many people associate with the brand.

To better understand what eating at Cracker Barrel is like these days, I visited one of the brand’s restaurants in northern Virginia, outside Washington, DC. Here’s what I found.

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