Revision as of 09:55, 18 November 2011 editJerem43 (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers54,113 edits →Food scare: Remove section per WP:Undue, A single incident at one location does not reflect on the company as a whole← Previous edit | Revision as of 10:02, 18 November 2011 edit undoJerem43 (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers54,113 edits Copy draft from User:WWB Too/Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, significantly better version of the article which corrects many issues with older article including WP:Tone, WP:Undue, WP:Soap and WP:NPOVNext edit → | ||
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{{About|the restaurant-and-store chain|the Kraft Foods brand|Kraft Foods}} | {{About|the restaurant-and-store chain|the Kraft Foods brand|Kraft Foods}} | ||
{{refimprove|date=August 2011}} | |||
{{Infobox company | {{Infobox company | ||
| name = Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. | | name = Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. | ||
| logo = ] | | logo = ] | ||
| type = ] |
| type = ] | ||
| traded_as = {{NASDAQ|CBRL}} | | traded_as = {{NASDAQ|CBRL}} | ||
| genre = |
| genre = | ||
| fate = |
| fate = | ||
| predecessor = |
| predecessor = | ||
| successor = |
| successor = | ||
| foundation = September 19, 1969 | | foundation = September 19, 1969 | ||
| founder = | | founder = Dan W. Evins | ||
| defunct = |
| defunct = | ||
| location_city = ] | | location_city = ] | ||
| location_country = ] | | location_country = ] | ||
| locations = ~600<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.crackerbarrel.com/about-us/company-faqs/ |title=Frequently Asked Questions |work=crackerbarrel.com |publisher=Cracker Barrel Old Country Store |accessdate=September 28, 2011}}</ref> | |||
| locations = 604<ref name = "cbfactbook"></ref> | |||
| area_served = ] | | area_served = ] | ||
| key_people = Michael A. Woodhouse (Director & Executive Chairman of the Board)<br>Sandra B. Cochran (President & ])<ref name=Management>{{cite web |url=http://investor.crackerbarrel.com/management.cfm |title=Management |work=investor.crackerbarrel.com |publisher=Cracker Barrel Old Country Store |accessdate=16 September 2011}}</ref> | |||
| key_people = Michael A. Woodhouse (])<br>Forrest Shoaf (]) | |||
| industry = ]s | | industry = ]s | ||
| products = |
| products = | ||
| services = |
| services = | ||
| revenue = {{increase}} ] $2.434 Billion (2011) <ref name=Statement>{{cite web |url=http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/invsub/results/statemnt.aspx?symbol=CBRL |title=Financial Results CBRL: Income Statement |work=moneycentral.msn |publisher=MSN |accessdate=September 28, 2011}}</ref>| operating_income = {{increase}} US $167.18 Million (2011)<ref name=Statement/> | |||
| revenue = {{decrease}} ] $2.367 Billion (2009) | |||
| |
| net_income = {{increase}} US $85.21 Million (2011)<ref name=Statement/> | ||
| |
| aum = | ||
| assets = {{increase}} US $245.92 Million (2011) <ref name=Balance>{{cite web |url=http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/invsub/results/statemnt.aspx?lstStatement=Balance&symbol=US%3aCBRL&stmtView=Ann |title=Financial Results CBRL: Balance |work=moneycentral.msn |publisher=MSN |accessdate=September 28, 2011}}</ref> | |||
| aum = | |||
| |
| equity = {{increase}} US $268.03 Million (2011)<ref name=Balance/> | ||
| |
| owner = | ||
| owner = | |||
| num_employees = 65,000+ | | num_employees = 65,000+ | ||
| parent = |
| parent = | ||
| divisions = |
| divisions = | ||
| subsid = |
| subsid = | ||
| homepage = http://www.crackerbarrel.com | | homepage = {{url|http://www.crackerbarrel.com}} | ||
| footnotes = |
| footnotes = | ||
| intl = |
| intl = | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.''' is an ] chain of combined ] and ] with a Southern country theme. The company was founded by Dan Evins in 1969 and its first store was located in ], ], where the company is now headquartered. The restaurant menu is based on traditional ] and each store's decor is designed to resemble an old fashioned ]. Cracker Barrel's stores were traditionally located near highway exits in the ] and ] U.S., but expanded across the country during the 1990s and through the 2000s. {{As of|2011}}, the chain operates over 600 stores in 42 states. | |||
==Restaurants== | |||
===Food and gift shop=== | |||
⚫ | ] | ||
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is a ] themed chain of restaurants and retail stores that serves traditional Southern ] often described as "down-home" country cooking, and sells gift items including toys and woodcrafts.<ref name=Thorp>{{cite news |title=Summer Tourists Improve Picture for Cracker Barrel |first=Susan |last=Adler Thorp |newspaper=Memphis Business Journal |date=April 28, 1986 |page=10}}</ref><ref name=Rhein>{{cite news |title=Along the interstate with Cracker Barrel |first=Liz |last=Rhein |url= |magazine=Restaurant Business |date=June 10, 1987 |issue=V86 |issn=0097-8043 |page=112}}</ref><ref name=Hoover>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel Served Up Piping Hot Profit |first=Ken |last=Hoover |url= |newspaper=Investor's Business Daily |date=April 25, 2005 |page=B20}}</ref><ref name=Papiernik>{{cite news |title=Down-home image can't hide Cracker Barrel's fine tuned focus |first=Richard L |last=Papiernik |url= |newspaper=Nation's Restaurant News |date=November 27, 1995 |page=11 |issn=0028-0518}}</ref> Breakfast is served all day, and there are two separate menus: one for breakfast, the other for lunch and dinner. Since the first restaurant opened, the menu has featured Southern specialties, including biscuits, fried chicken and catfish;<ref name=Rhein/> seasonal and regional menu items were added during the 1980s and 1990s.<ref name=Rhein/><ref name=Tarquinio>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel Customizes Menus |first=J. Alex |last=Tarquinio |url= |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=September 25, 1997 |page=1B}}</ref> Particular specialties include ] biscuits, fried apples, hash brown casserole<ref>{{cite news |title=Morning glory |first=Peter |last=Genovese |url= |newspaper=The Star-Ledger |date=August 18, 2000 |page=25}}</ref> and a breakfast platter named "Uncle Herschel's Favorite" after the uncle of the chain's founder.<ref name=Tenn40>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel turns 40 |newspaper=The Tennessean |date=August 31, 2009 |accessdate=August 18, 2011}}</ref> In addition to traditional Southern dishes, the Cracker Barrel menus also include more contemporary options, such as a yogurt and fruit parfait on the breakfast menu.<ref name=Wadhwani/> Menu items are the same in all restaurants, and the chain aims to ensure that the food quality and portion sizes are consistent at each location.<ref name=Tenn40/><ref name=Wadhwani>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel tries out new strategies |first=Anita |last=Wadhwani |url= |newspaper=The Tennessean |date=March 13, 2011 |accessdate=August 14, 2011}}</ref> | |||
The retail area of each Cracker Barrel Old Country Store offers various gift items for sale, including toys, woodcrafts, and traditional foods such as jellies.<ref name=Rhein/> The store also sells items that are on display as part of the location's décor including wooden rocking chairs<ref name=Papiernik/> and Lodge cast iron products.<ref>{{cite news |title=Don't fret. You can cook up dinner in this guitar skillet |first=Teresa |last=Taylor |url= |newspaper=The Post and Courier |date=May 11, 2011 |page=D10}}</ref> | |||
===Locations and service=== | |||
For much of its early history, the chain chose to locate its restaurants along the ],<ref name=Rhein/> and the majority of its restaurants remain close to interstate and other highways.<ref name=Russell3>{{cite news |title=Travelers taking to highways |first=Keith |last=Russell |url= |newspaper=The Tennessean |date=July 5, 2002 |page=1E}}</ref><ref name=Kappes>{{cite news |title=It's official: Cracker Barrel coming to Morehead! |first=Keith |last=Kappes |url=http://themoreheadnews.com/local/x670930367/It-s-official-Cracker-Barrel-coming-to-Morehead |newspaper=The Morehead News |date=August 16, 2011 |accessdate=August 18, 2011}}</ref> {{As of |2011}}, Cracker Barrel had opened over 600 restaurants across 42 states.<ref name=Wadhwani/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.crackerbarrel.com/locations-and-hours/browse-locations/ |title=Browse Locations |work=crackerbarrel.com |publisher=Cracker Barrel Old Country Store |accessdate=August 17, 2011}}</ref><ref name=AP>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel names McCarten as a board member | |||
|url=http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/08/10/business-financial-administration-us-cracker-barrel-board_8616580.html |work=Forbes |agency=Associated Press |date=August 10, 2011 |accessdate=August 17, 2011}}</ref> All store locations are open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner.<ref name=Rhein/> | |||
Cracker Barrel's mission statement is "Pleasing People",<ref name=Carlino>{{cite news |title=Dan W. Evins: barreling toward the top |first=Bill |last=Carlino |url= |newspaper=Nation's Restaurant News |date=September 20, 1993 |issue=V27 |issn=0028-0518 |page=115}}</ref> and also states that "everyone who walks in our front door gets a warm welcome and a good meal at a fair price".<ref name=Mission>{{cite web |url=http://www.crackerbarrel.com/about-us/ | |||
|title=About Us |work=crackerbarrel.com |publisher=Cracker Barrel Old Country Store |accessdate=August 21, 2011}}</ref> In keeping with its Southern theme, service in the restaurants is intended to be informal and friendly.<ref name=Stiff/><ref name=Papiernik/><ref name=Strother>{{cite news |title=President: Cracker Barrel is Rolling Along |first=Susan G. |last=Strother |url= |newspaper=Orlando Sentinel (Florida) | |||
|date=February 1, 1998 |page=H1}}</ref><!-- In 2011, Cracker Barrel announced that it had developed a service approach it calls "Seat-to-Eat", focusing on serving food quickly.<ref name=Wadhwani>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel tries out new strategies |first=Anita |last=Wadhwani |url= |newspaper=The Tennessean |date=March 13, 2011 |accessdate=August 14, 2011}}</ref> --> | |||
===Decor=== | |||
]]] | ]]] | ||
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store locations are themed around the idea of a traditional Southern U.S. ]. Items used to decorate each store are authentic artifacts,<ref name=Gutner>{{cite news |title=Nostalgia sells |first=Toddi |last=Gutner |url= |magazine=Forbes |date=April 27, 1992 |page=102}}</ref> including everyday objects from the early 1900s and after.<ref name=Loew>{{cite news |title=Toys in the Attic |first=Karen |last=Loew |url= |newspaper=The Tennessean |date=June 25, 2003 |page=1W}}</ref> Each restaurant features a front porch lined with wooden rocking chairs, a wooden ] game<ref name="Sarasota">{{cite news | title = Cracker Barrel: country-fried success since 1999 | first = Jason | last = Hall | work = ] | page = 10 | date = July 12, 1999 | accessdate = October 31, 2011 | url = http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IiAiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8X0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4452,3371301&dq=cracker-barrel+peg-game&hl=en }}</ref> on every table—provided for customers' use while they wait for a table or for their food to arrive<ref name=Stiff>{{cite news |title=Breakfast line forms early at Cracker Barrel |first=Ashby |last=Stiff |newspaper=Tallahassee Democrat |date=September 29, 2006 |page=17D}}</ref>—and a stone fireplace with a deer head displayed above the mantel.<ref name=Tenn40/> The peg games have been present in Cracker Barrel stores since the opening of the first store, and continue to be produced by the same family in Lebanon, Tennessee.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.crackerbarrel.com/local/ |title=Local |work=crackerbarrel.com |publisher=Cracker Barrel Old Country Store |accessdate=August 21, 2011}}</ref> In addition to the items that are present in all Cracker Barrel locations, the decor of each store typically includes artifacts related to the local history of the area.<ref name=Kappes>{{cite news |title=It's official: Cracker Barrel coming to Morehead! |first=Keith |last=Kappes |url=http://themoreheadnews.com/local/x670930367/It-s-official-Cracker-Barrel-coming-to-Morehead |newspaper=The Morehead News |date=August 16, 2011 |accessdate=August 18, 2011}}</ref> The chain has a warehouse in Tennessee for collecting artifacts from across the U.S., where it catalogs and stores them for future decorating use.<ref name=Richards>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel Chain Makes an Art out of Decoration |first=Gregory |last=Richards |url= |newspaper=Florida Times-Union |date=January 27, 2003 |accessdate=August 14, 2011}}</ref> For each location, a team led by Cracker Barrel's decor manager, Larry Singleton, designs the store's layout of artifacts including vintage posters, signage and items such as farm implements. The theme of each restaurant is tailored to the local history and environment, designed at the warehouse and shipped to the new store to be assembled.<ref name=Loew/> | |||
]]] | |||
⚫ | ] | ||
===Reception=== | |||
'''Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.''', is a chain of "Old Country Stores," each combining a retail ] and a ]. As of May 2011, the company, founded in 1969 and based in ], ], was operating 588 full-service locations located in 42 states in the ].<ref name = "aboutcb"></ref> In 2009, Cracker Barrel was ranked as the top "family dining" chain for the 19th consecutive year in ''Restaurants & Institutions'' magazine "Choice in Chains" annual consumer survey.<ref></ref> | |||
Cracker Barrel is known to have "extremely loyal" customers,<ref name=Brooks>{{cite news |title=A barrel full of questions |first=Steve |last=Brooks |url= |magazine=Restaurant Business |date=March 1, 1996 |page=48}}</ref><ref name=Tarquinio/> some of whom have regularly eaten at the restaurant for decades. In 2009, an article in ''The Tennessean'' on the chain's 40th anniversary reported that a group of friends had eaten breakfast at the Lebanon location each Tuesday for over 20 years.<ref name=Tenn40>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel turns 40 |newspaper=The Tennessean |date=August 31, 2009 |accessdate=August 18, 2011}}</ref> Some customers know the menu by heart<ref name=Loew/> and travel across the country to visit different Cracker Barrel locations.<ref name=Tarquinio/> Cracker Barrel has celebrity fans who are not officially affiliated with the restaurant but have mentioned the chain in interviews and profiles. Among these are ],<ref>{{cite news |title=My perfect weekend Selena Gomez Actress |first=Anna |last=Tyzack |url= |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph (London) | |||
|date=April 9, 2011 |page=3}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=With a new album and movie, Selena Gomez is at the top of her game |first=Catherine |last=Mallette |url= |newspaper=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |date=June 27, 2011}}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite news |title=Kellie Pickler dishes on her recent tweets |first=Wade |last=Tatangelo |newspaper=The Bradenton Herald |date=April 7, 2011}}</ref> and ] (who has stated that Cracker Barrel's breakfast is her favorite food).<ref>{{cite news |title=Fabulously fearless |first=Amanda |last=Forr |magazine=Girls' Life |issn=1078-3326 |date=December 1, 2008 |page=50}}</ref> | |||
Cracker Barrel has received awards for its food and customer service.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel Old Country Store consistently honored nationwide as "Best Family Dining" restaurant and "Best Restaurant Chain" |work=PR Newswire |date=March 4, 1998}}</ref> In particular, the restaurant chain was named the "Best Family Dining" restaurant by a nationwide "Choice in Chains" consumer poll in ''Restaurants & Institutions'' magazine for 19 consecutive years, prior to the magazine ceasing publication.<ref name=Tenn40/> In 2011, Cracker Barrel was voted the top family dining restaurant in a new poll begun by trade publication '']''.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Consumers Pick Cracker Barrel Top Family Dining Restaurant |url=http://newsroom.crackerbarrel.com/article_print.cfm?article_id=3128 |publisher=Cracker Barrel Old Country Store |date=September 21, 2011 |accessdate=September 23, 2011}}</ref> | |||
''Destinations'' magazine has presented Cracker Barrel with awards for best chain restaurant,<ref name=Rutledge>{{cite news |title=Restaurant company continues to strengthen its business through Outreach |first=K Dawn |last=Rutledge |url= |newspaper=Westside Gazette |date=August 27, 2003 |page=1B}}</ref> and in 2010 and 2011 the ] survey named Cracker Barrel the "Best Breakfast".<ref>{{cite news |title=Zagat gives thumbs up to Cracker Barrel |first=Dan |last=Hieb |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2010/08/16/daily17.html |newspaper=Nashville Business Journal |date=August 18, 2010 |accessdate=August 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Five Guys, Subway Top In-N-Out, Taco Bell In Zagat's Fast Food Survey |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/06/zagat-fast-food-survey_n_950167.html |work=The Huffington Post |date=September 6, 2011 |accessdate=October 31, 2011}}</ref> Cracker Barrel has also received awards for other aspects of its business, including being selected by the ] as the 2011 OBIE Hall of Fame Award recipient for its long-standing use of outdoor advertising.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel Secures OBIE Hall of Fame Award |newspaper=Manufacturing Close-Up |date=March 1, 2011}}</ref> | |||
==History== | |||
===First location and early growth=== | |||
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store was founded in 1969 by Dan Evins, a sales representative for ], who developed the restaurant and gift store concept initially as a plan to improve gasoline sales.<ref name=Rhein>{{cite news |title=Along the interstate with Cracker Barrel |first=Liz |last=Rhein |url= |magazine=Restaurant Business |date=June 10, 1987 |issue=V86 |issn=0097-8043 |page=112}}</ref> Designed like the traditional ] Evins remembered from his childhood, with a name chosen to give it a Southern country theme,<ref name=Carlino>{{cite news |title=Dan W. Evins: barreling toward the top. |first=Bill |last=Carlino |url= |newspaper=Nation's Restaurant News |date=September 20, 1993 |issue=V27 |issn=0028-0518 |page=115}}</ref> Cracker Barrel was intended to attract the interest of highway travelers.<ref name=Rhein/> The first restaurant was built close to ], on a piece of land owned by Evins in ].<ref name=Gutner>{{cite news |title=Nostalgia sells |first=Toddi |last=Gutner |url= |magazine=Forbes |date=April 27, 1992 |page=102}}</ref> The restaurant opened in September 1969,<ref name=Thorp>{{cite news |title=Summer Tourists Improve Picture for Cracker Barrel |first=Susan |last=Adler Thorp |newspaper=Memphis Business Journal |date=April 28, 1986 |page=10}}</ref> serving Southern cuisine including biscuits, grits, country ham and turnip greens at affordable prices.<ref name=Gutner/> | |||
Evins ] Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in February 1970,<ref name=Rhein/> and more locations soon followed. In the early 1970s, Evins leased land on gasoline station sites near interstate highways to build more Cracker Barrel restaurants.<ref name=Carlino/> These early locations all featured gas pumps on-site, however Cracker Barrel began to build restaurants without pumps during ] in the mid to late 1970s.<ref name=Rhein/> From the late 1970s through the early 1980s, the company significantly reduced the number of gas stations on-site, eventually phasing them out altogether, as the company focused on its increasing restaurant and gift sales revenues. However, the restaurants continued to be located near highway exits, and their main customer base remained interstate travelers.<ref name=Thorp/> Cracker Barrel became a ] in 1981 in order to raise funds for further expansion of the chain.<ref name=Rhein/><ref name=Gutner/> It floated over half a million shares, raising $4.6 million.<ref name=Carlino/> Following the initial public offering, Cracker Barrel grew at a rate of around 20% per year,<ref name=Strother/> and by 1987 the company had become a chain of over 50 units in eight states, with annual net sales of almost $81 million.<ref name=Rhein/> | |||
== Format and extent == | |||
The Cracker Barrel chain is a ] themed chain, and serves traditional Southern ]. Their outlets have traditionally been located along interstate highways, though the company policy on this appears to be changing. Breakfast is served all day, though the breakfast menu is kept separate from the one for lunch and dinner. Both menus include a ] section. | |||
===New markets=== | |||
The outer porch of a Cracker Barrel store has rows of rocking chairs for guests to enjoy before or after eating, and there is usually a fireplace and a checkers table within the dining area for an added country feel; patrons are welcome to sit down for a game. Each table typically includes a wooden ] game.<ref name="Sarasota">{{cite news | title = Cracker Barrel: country-fried success since 1999 | first = Jason | last = Hall | work = ] | page = 10 | date = July 12, 1999 | accessdate = October 31, 2011 | url = http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IiAiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8X0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4452,3371301&dq=cracker-barrel+peg-game&hl=en }}</ref> The interior walls of the dining area are decorated with antiques such as photographs, advertisements, and household items. | |||
Cracker Barrel's consistent growth in the 1980s and 1990s was noted by industry journals and '']'' magazine, particularly for its $1 billion market value.<ref name=Gutner/><ref name=Brooks>{{cite news |title=A barrel full of questions |first=Steve |last=Brooks |url= |magazine=Restaurant Business |date=March 1, 1996 |page=48}}</ref><ref name=Moritz/> By 1993 the chain's revenue was nearly twice that of any other family restaurant.<ref name=Carlino/> To build on this success, in 1994, Cracker Barrel tested a ] only store, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Corner Market, aiming to expand into suburban residential locations. The first Corner Market location offered many of the same dishes as Cracker Barrel's traditional stores, however all food was prepared for take-out instead of sit-down dining.<ref name=Moritz>{{cite news |title=Off the interstate and to the 'burbs |first=Gwen |last=Moritz |url= |magazine=Nashville Business Journal |date=April 25, 1994 |issue=V10 |page=33}}</ref><ref name=Brooks>{{cite news |title=A barrel full of questions |first=Steve |last=Brooks |url= |magazine=Restaurant Business |date=March 1, 1996 |page=48}}</ref> Cracker Barrel ultimately decided not to pursue this "home-meal replacement" concept; the then-president of Cracker Barrel stated that it created confusion for the chain's customers who had expected the same service and atmosphere from the Corner Market stores as from its traditional stores.<ref name=Strother>{{cite news |title=President: Cracker Barrel is Rolling Along |first=Susan G. |last=Strother |url= |newspaper=Orlando Sentinel (Florida) | |||
|date=February 1, 1998 |page=H1}}</ref> | |||
In addition to the Corner Market stores, in the 1990s, Cracker Barrel expanded into new markets through the establishment of more traditional Cracker Barrel locations, the majority of them outside the South. The chain also tested alterations to its menus to adapt to new regions.<ref name=Tarquinio>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel Customizes Menus |first=J. Alex |last=Tarquinio |url= |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=September 25, 1997 |page=1B}}</ref> Cracker Barrel added regional dishes to its menus, including eggs and salsa in ] and Reuben sandwiches in ], but continued to offer its most popular menu items, including ] and roast beef, in all restaurants.<ref name=Brooks/> | |||
The retail store carries mainly nostalgic merchandise, collectibles, old time toys, classic candies, scented candles, and items used in making Cracker Barrel entrees. Also, a lot of merchandise sold at Cracker Barrel is holiday themed, depending on the time of year. It is known for selling ], ], and ] ornaments and other decorations.{{Citation needed|date=June 2009}} | |||
===Refocus=== | |||
Cracker Barrel operates 588 stores in 42 states as of 22 May 2011<ref name = "aboutcb" />. The original Cracker Barrel was located on Highway 109 just north of I-40 in Wilson County, TN. Despite change over the years, the original store can still be visited; however, it is now a Citgo gas station. | |||
By September 1997, Cracker Barrel had 314 restaurants and was continuing to grow, aiming to increase the number of stores by approximately 50 per year in the following five years, according to ''The Wall Street Journal''.<ref name=Tarquinio/> Cracker Barrel closed its Corner Market operations in 1997, and refocused on its restaurant and gift store locations. Its president at the time stated that the chain was focusing on strengthening its core theme, offering traditional foods and retail in a country store setting, with good service and country music.<ref name=Strother>{{cite news |title=President: Cracker Barrel is Rolling Along |first=Susan G. |last=Strother |url= |newspaper=Orlando Sentinel (Florida) |date=February 1, 1998 |page=H1}}</ref> In 1998, Cracker Barrel opened its first restaurant and gift store not located near to a highway, in ].<ref name=Jackovics>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel opens new restaurants away from interstates |first=Ted |last=Jackovics |url= |newspaper=Tampa Tribune |date=June 26, 2005}}</ref> The company celebrated its 30th anniversary in 1999, and, to commemorate the event, it launched a series of community-focused activities including a nationwide ] and a ], with trips to the ] and rocking chairs among the prizes.<ref name=Hartmann>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel celebrates 30th with book drive, sweepstakes |first=Stacey |last=Hartmann |newspaper=The Tennessean |date=May 21, 1999 |page=6E}}</ref> | |||
===Innovation and later growth=== | |||
==Controversy== | |||
The number of combined restaurants and stores owned by Cracker Barrel approximately doubled between 1997 and 2000, to over 420 locations. In 2000 and 2001, the company addressed staffing and infrastructure issues related to this rapid growth by implementing a more rigorous recruitment strategy and introducing new technology, including an ].<ref name=Leader>{{cite news |title=Fixing the Fixin's |first=David |last=Farkas |newspaper=Chain Leader |date=May 2000 |issn=1528-4999 |page=96}}</ref> From the late 1990s to the mid-2000s, the company focused on opening new locations in residential areas, where it would be able to gain customers from local residents and workers.<ref name=Jackovics/> In 2006, it updated its marketing, also to encourage new customers, changing the design of its highway ] to include images of menu items, including pancakes, biscuits and sweet corn, as well as the company's logo.<ref name=French>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel overhauls billboards |first=Rose |last=French |newspaper=The Houston Chronicle |date=November 23, 2006 |page=5}}</ref> Following the ], Cracker Barrel continued to grow and perform well. Its then-chief executive officer, Michael A. Woodhouse, stated in an interview with ''The Tennessean'' that the company aimed to provide consistent value for its customers, which was reflected in its continued success.<ref name=McCain>{{cite news |title=Core values are at heart of Cracker Barrel's rise |first=Randy |last=McCain |newspaper=The Tennessean |date=May 3, 2009}}</ref> Cracker Barrel celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2009,<ref name=Tenn40>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel turns 40 |newspaper=The Tennessean |date=August 31, 2009 |accessdate=August 18, 2011}}</ref> and by 2011 had opened over 600 restaurants in 42 states.<ref name=MarketW>{{cite press release |title=Cracker Barrel Fiscal 2011 Fourth Quarter Conference Call on the Internet |url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/cracker-barrel-fiscal-2011-fourth-quarter-conference-call-on-the-internet-2011-08-30 |publisher=Cracker Barrel Old Country Store |date=August 30, 2011 |accessdate=September 15, 2011}}</ref> In September 2011, Cracker Barrel announced that its revenue for the 2011 fiscal year was $2.43 billion.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year Fiscal 2011 Results And Provides Guidance for Fiscal 2012 |work=Daily the Pak Banker |date=September 24, 2011}}</ref> | |||
==Corporate overview== | |||
Cracker Barrel has been embroiled in controversy through the years, first with ] groups and then with claims of ] and ]. | |||
===Business model=== | |||
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is a chain of wholly-owned locations offering sit-down dining and retail.<ref name=Strother/> The restaurant is aimed at the family and ] market and also markets itself to people traveling on the interstate highways, as the majority of its locations are close to highway exits.<ref name=Moritz/> The Cracker Barrel stores are designed and marketed around a country theme, offering traditional ] in stores designed to evoke a rustic, country ambiance through their decor and background ].<ref name=Strother/> | |||
According to industry commentators Cracker Barrel has been consistent in its sales performance,<ref name=Moritz/> and it has been well regarded by financial analysts, particularly for its ] and measured growth.<ref name=McCain>{{cite news |title=Core values are at heart of Cracker Barrel's rise |first=Randy |last=McCain |newspaper=The Tennessean |date=May 3, 2009}}</ref> Cracker Barrel's brand includes a focus on customer service and the company has stated it aims to keep employee turnover low, in order to provide better trained staff.<ref name=McCain/> | |||
===Policy of discrimination against LGBT employees=== | |||
Since the 1980s, Cracker Barrel has offered a formal training program with benefits for progressing through it to all of its employees.<ref name=Rhein/><ref name=Carlson>{{cite news |title=At Cracker Barrel, training is a specialty |first=Kathy |last=Carlson |newspaper=The Tennessean |date=October 27, 2003 |page=1E}}</ref> | |||
===Partnership and sponsorship=== | |||
In 1991, Cracker Barrel instituted a policy requiring employees to display "normal heterosexual values which have been the foundation of families in our society which the company has traditionally sought to uphold". The company refused to change their policy in the face of protest demonstrations by ] groups. After ten years of proposals by the ] ], a major shareholder, the company's shareholders voted 58% in 2002 in favor of rescinding the policy. The ] added ] to the company's nondiscrimination policy.<ref></ref> | |||
Cracker Barrel ] the ] ] from 1999 to 2001<ref name=Russell>{{cite news |title=Atlanta Motor Speedway |first=Keith |last=Russell |url= |newspaper=The Tennessean |date=August 18, 2001 |page=1A}}</ref> and the ] from 2004 to 2009. The company was the first presenting sponsor of the Grand Ole Opry.<ref name=Naujeck>{{cite news |title='Opry' adds Cracker Barrel to name |first=Jeanne Anne |last=Naujeck |newspaper=The Tennessean |date=October 2, 2004 |page=1E}}</ref> This sponsorship led to the company gaining connections within the Nashville music industry, following which it entered into partnership with a number of country music artists.<ref name=Ten07>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel banks on CD deals |newspaper=The Tennessean |date=November 11, 2007}}</ref> The chain has established partnerships with artists including ], ], ], ], ], ] and ], to offer CD releases and merchandise that are only sold at Cracker Barrel.<ref name=Stark>{{cite news |title=Daniels follows Krauss to Cracker Barrel |first=Phyllis |last=Stark |work=BPI Entertainment News Wire |date=July 12, 2005}}</ref><ref name=Ten07/><ref>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel offers bacon, eggs and CDs |work=The Bismarck Tribune |date=December 24, 2010 |accessdate=November 3, 2011}}</ref> | |||
==Diversity and discrimination claims== | |||
Nonetheless, Cracker Barrel, along with ] and ] Pet Care, achieved the lowest score (15 out of 100) of all rated food and beverage companies in the ]'s 2008 ], a measure of gay and lesbian workplace equality.<ref>http://www.hrc.org/documents/HRC_Corporate_Equality_Index_2008.pdf ''2008 Corporate Equality Index''. Accessed 27 November 2007.</ref> Their score for 2011 had improved to a 55. | |||
===Policy toward sexual orientation === | |||
In 1991, an intra-company memo called for employees to be dismissed if they did not display "normal heterosexual values".<ref name=Tarquinio/><ref name=Carlino/> The company stopped its implementation shortly after being introduced and stated it would not discriminate based on sexual orientation,<ref name=Price>{{cite news |title=Perseverance gains Cracker Barrel gift |first=Deb |last=Price |newspaper=The Detroit News |date=December 23, 2002 |page=11A }}</ref> after demonstrations by ] groups.<ref name=Hayes>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel comes under fire for ousting gays |first= Jack |last=Hayes |url= |newspaper=Nation's Restaurant News |date=March 4, 1991 | |||
|issue=V25 |issn=0028-0518 |page=1}}</ref> Later, the company's founder, Dan Evins, stated that the policy had been a mistake.<ref name=Carlino/> Following proposals by the ] ], a major shareholder at the time, in 2002 the company's shareholders voted 58% in favor of adding ] to the company's nondiscrimination policy.<ref></ref><ref name=Price>{{cite news |title=Perseverance gains Cracker Barrel gift |first=Deb |last=Price |newspaper=The Detroit News |date=December 23, 2002 |page=11A }}</ref> | |||
=== |
===Alleged racial discrimination=== | ||
In July 1999, a discrimination lawsuit was filed against Cracker Barrel by a group of former employees, who claimed that the company had discriminated against them on the grounds of ].<ref name=Hill>{{cite news |title=NAACP seeks class action in discrimination case against Cracker Barrel |first=Shelley |last=Hill |url= |agency=The Associated Press State & Local Wire |date=October 5, 1999}}</ref><ref name=AP>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel denies it discriminates against black employees | |||
|agency=The Associated Press State & Local Wire |date=November 4, 1999}}</ref> Two years later, in December 2001, the same attorneys filed a separate lawsuit representing 21 customers of the restaurant, alleging racial discrimination in its treatment of guests.<ref name="AJC">{{cite news |title=Plaintiffs seek to expand Cracker Barrel wage suit last1=Poole |first1=Sheila M. |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal and Constitution |date=16 October 1999}}</ref><ref name=Newsday>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel Hit With $100M Racism Suit |newspaper=Newsday |date=December 14, 2001 |page=A78}}</ref><ref name=McCampbell2>{{cite news |title=Patrons accuse Cracker Barrel of bias |first=Candy |last=McCampbell |url= |newspaper=The Tennessean |date=December 14, 2001 |page=1E}}</ref> Regarding both the 1999 and 2001 accusations, Cracker Barrel officials disputed the claims and stated that the company was committed to fair treatment of its employees and customers.<ref name=Newsday/><ref name=Bivins>{{cite news |title=Executives say racist charges are unfounded |first1=Keith |last1=Russell |first2=Larry |last2=Bivins |url= |newspaper=The Tennessean |date=April 12, 2002 |page=1E}}</ref><ref name=AP>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel denies it discriminates against black employees |agency=The Associated Press State & Local Wire |date=November 4, 1999}}</ref> In 2004, Cracker Barrel signed a five year agreement with the ] to introduce "effective nondiscrimination policies and procedures" including: new equal opportunity training; creating a new system to log, investigate and resolve complaints of discrimination; and publicizing its non-discrimination policies.<ref name=Inquirer>{{cite news |title=Justice Department Settles Race Discrimination Lawsuit Against Cracker Barrel Restaurant Chain |newspaper=Atlanta Inquirer |date=May 15, 2004 |page=10 }}</ref> It also paid a $2 million settlement to end a suit alleging race and ] at three ] restaurants, in 2006.<ref></ref><ref name=Pallasch>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel settles Illinois workers' harassment claims |first=Abdon M. |last=Pallasch |newspaper=Chicago Sun Times |date=March 12, 2006 |page=A18 }}</ref> Following the suits, Cracker Barrel stores began displaying a sign in their front foyer explaining its non-discrimination policy,<ref>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel customer says bias was 'flagrant' |first1=Julie |last1=Schmidt |first2=Larry |last2=Copeland |newspaper=USA Today |url=http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/2004-05-07-cracker-barrel_x.htm |date=May 07, 2004}}</ref> and also added the policy and details of how to make a complaint to its menu and website.<ref name=DuPlessis>{{cite news |title=Discrimination claims hurt business even if false |first=Jim |last=DuPlessis |newspaper=The State |date=October 21, 2006 |page=B8}}</ref> | |||
===Diversity=== | |||
In the early 2000s and again in 2006, Cracker Barrel faced accusations including a pattern of ] discrimination in its treatment of guests. After national press attention to these accusations, the company announced explicit policies intended to address the charges, and paid $2 million for race and ] at three ] restaurants.<ref></ref> Stores now display a sign in their front foyer clarifying this policy, as has become the policy after a similar incident involving ] restaurants.<ref>, 2004-05-07.</ref> | |||
In addition to Cracker Barrel's equal opportunity policies, the company has focused on improving the company's diversity through training and providing resources to minority employees. {{As of|2002}}, 23% of Cracker Barrel's employees were minorities, including over 11% of its management and executives.<ref name=Defender>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel Old Country Store offers $25,000 scholarship through National Black MBA program |newspaper=Chicago Defender |date=October 1, 2002 |issn=0745-7014 |page=2 }}</ref> In the early 2000s, the company began outreach to minority employees, including offering a training plan to help employees whose first language is Spanish to learn English.<ref name=Richmond>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel Rebuilds Image |newspaper=Richmond Times Dispatch |date=July 5, 2005 |page=B6}}</ref> Cracker Barrel is on the Corporate Advisory Board for the Texas Conference of the ] (NAACP),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://texasnaacp.org/?cat=6 |title=Texas NAACP:About Us |work=texasnaacp.org |publisher=Texas Conference of the NAACP |accessdate=1 November 2011}}</ref> and is a corporate sponsor of the NAACP Leadership 500 Summit, where three of its officials were moderators and panelists in May 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://l500.org/speakers.htm |title=Speakers and special guests |date=May 2011 |work=NAACP Leadership 500 Summit |publisher=NAACP |accessdate=1 November 2011}}</ref> The company has been praised for its gender diversity, particularly on its board of directors, which includes three women out of eleven total board members. Its chief executive officer, Sandra Cochran, is the second woman in ] to hold that office in a publicly traded company, {{as of|2011|08|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel says 'goodbye, glass ceiling' |first=Bobby |last=Allyn |newspaper=The Tennessean |date=August 2, 2011}}</ref> | |||
Cracker Barrel has been listed in the Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) Corporate Equality Index, which ranks companies by comparison of their non-discrimination policies and actions towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees and customers.<ref name=HRC>{{cite web |url=http://issuu.com/humanrightscampaign/docs/hrc-cei-2011-final |title=Corporate Equality Index 2011 |date=October 4, 2010 |work=issuu.com |publisher=Human Rights Campaign |accessdate=August 5, 2011}}</ref><ref name=Morris>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel makes HRC's Corporate Equality Index |first=Joe |last=Morris |work=Out & About |date=November 2010 |page=5 }}</ref> In the 2011 survey, HRC noted that Cracker Barrel had established a non-discrimination policy and had introduced diversity training that included training related to sexual orientation.<ref name=HRC/> | |||
===Alleged unlawful political campaign contributions=== | |||
==Community involvement== | |||
Cracker Barrel was among eight companies indicted and accused of making alleged illegal corporate campaign contributions to the ] ] (TRMPAC), started by former ] ], allegations that some considered unfair.<ref>, 2004-06-15.</ref><ref>.</ref> Less than five months later, however, all charges against Cracker Barrel were dropped.{{Citation needed|date=November 2010}} | |||
Cracker Barrel has supported a wide range of charities, through one-off donations, promotional events and partnerships with charitable organizations.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Donates 2,000 'Princess The Bear' Beanie Babies to the Make-A-Wish Foundation |publisher=PR Newswire |date=March 6, 1998}}</ref><ref name=Tribune>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel Donates to Civil Rights Fund |newspaper=The Tennessee Tribune |date=November 1, 2007 |issn=1067-5280 |page=5}}</ref> The chain has supported local charities and causes in communities where its restaurants are located, including donating over $1 million of meals to hurricane evacuees and volunteers in the ] following ] in 2005.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel donates $1 million worth of food to Gulf |newspaper=Nation's Restaurant News |date=October 17, 2005 |issn=0028-0518 |page=22}}</ref> Following severe flooding in ] in 2010, Cracker Barrel made a donation to a charity involved in relief efforts and also established Cracker Barrel Cares Inc., a non-profit organization aimed at providing support to Cracker Barrel employees, funded by the chain's employees.<ref>{{cite news |title=A flood of support: restaurateurs pitch in to raise funds for Nashville disaster victims; | |||
Community |first=Elissa |last=Elan |magazine=Nation's Restaurant News |date=May 31, 2010}}</ref> Cracker Barrel has also formed partnerships with charities, such as its sponsorship of the ], a non-profit organization working with injured veterans.<ref>{{cite news |title=CD sales support injured vets |first=Hamilton |last=Richardson |newspaper=The Montgomery Advertiser |date=May 30, 2009}}</ref> | |||
In addition to its work with charitable organizations, Cracker Barrel has partnered with organizations to provide community programs and scholarships, including providing a scholarship through the ],<ref name=Defender>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel Old Country Store offers $25,000 scholarship through National Black MBA program |newspaper=Chicago Defender |date=October 1, 2002 |issn=0745-7014 |page=2 }}</ref> and job skills programs with ]<ref>{{cite news |title=100 Partners For Student Leadership |newspaper=Atlanta Inquirer |date=November 19, 2005 |page=5 }}</ref> and the Restaurant and Lodging Association.<ref name=Brown>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel serves up funding |first=Will |last=Brown |newspaper=Tallahassee Democrat |date=November 13, 2008 |page=5A}}</ref> The company has also provided sponsorship to groups including 100 Black Men of America.<ref name=Richmond>{{cite news |title=Cracker Barrel Rebuilds Image |newspaper=Richmond Times Dispatch |date=July 5, 2005 |page=B6}}</ref> | |||
<gallery> | |||
Image:Picture of souvenir pillow at Cracker Barrel IMG_1598.JPG|The inscription on this souvenir pillow reflects the overall Cracker Barrel theme. | |||
Image:MVI_2751_Clerk_at_Cracker_Barrel,_Fort_Worth.jpg|A clerk waits on customers at the Cracker Barrel off Meacham Road in ], Texas | |||
</gallery> | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist|2}} | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
{{Commons category}} | |||
* {{official|http://www.crackerbarrel.com}} | |||
* , corporate parent | |||
] | ] | ||
] | ] | ||
] | ] | ||
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Revision as of 10:02, 18 November 2011
This article is about the restaurant-and-store chain. For the Kraft Foods brand, see Kraft Foods.File:CrackerBarrelLogo.PNG | |
Company type | Public |
---|---|
Traded as | Nasdaq: CBRL |
Industry | Restaurants |
Founded | September 19, 1969 |
Founder | Dan W. Evins |
Headquarters | Lebanon, Tennessee, U.S. |
Number of locations | ~600 |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Michael A. Woodhouse (Director & Executive Chairman of the Board) Sandra B. Cochran (President & CEO) |
Revenue | US$ $2.434 Billion (2011) |
Operating income | US $167.18 Million (2011) |
Net income | US $85.21 Million (2011) |
Total assets | US $245.92 Million (2011) |
Total equity | US $268.03 Million (2011) |
Number of employees | 65,000+ |
Website | www |
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. is an American chain of combined restaurant and gift stores with a Southern country theme. The company was founded by Dan Evins in 1969 and its first store was located in Lebanon, Tennessee, where the company is now headquartered. The restaurant menu is based on traditional Southern cuisine and each store's decor is designed to resemble an old fashioned general store. Cracker Barrel's stores were traditionally located near highway exits in the Southeastern and Midwestern U.S., but expanded across the country during the 1990s and through the 2000s. As of 2011, the chain operates over 600 stores in 42 states.
Restaurants
Food and gift shop
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is a Southern themed chain of restaurants and retail stores that serves traditional Southern comfort food often described as "down-home" country cooking, and sells gift items including toys and woodcrafts. Breakfast is served all day, and there are two separate menus: one for breakfast, the other for lunch and dinner. Since the first restaurant opened, the menu has featured Southern specialties, including biscuits, fried chicken and catfish; seasonal and regional menu items were added during the 1980s and 1990s. Particular specialties include made from scratch biscuits, fried apples, hash brown casserole and a breakfast platter named "Uncle Herschel's Favorite" after the uncle of the chain's founder. In addition to traditional Southern dishes, the Cracker Barrel menus also include more contemporary options, such as a yogurt and fruit parfait on the breakfast menu. Menu items are the same in all restaurants, and the chain aims to ensure that the food quality and portion sizes are consistent at each location.
The retail area of each Cracker Barrel Old Country Store offers various gift items for sale, including toys, woodcrafts, and traditional foods such as jellies. The store also sells items that are on display as part of the location's décor including wooden rocking chairs and Lodge cast iron products.
Locations and service
For much of its early history, the chain chose to locate its restaurants along the Interstate Highway System, and the majority of its restaurants remain close to interstate and other highways. As of 2011, Cracker Barrel had opened over 600 restaurants across 42 states. All store locations are open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Cracker Barrel's mission statement is "Pleasing People", and also states that "everyone who walks in our front door gets a warm welcome and a good meal at a fair price". In keeping with its Southern theme, service in the restaurants is intended to be informal and friendly.
Decor
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store locations are themed around the idea of a traditional Southern U.S. general store. Items used to decorate each store are authentic artifacts, including everyday objects from the early 1900s and after. Each restaurant features a front porch lined with wooden rocking chairs, a wooden peg solitaire game on every table—provided for customers' use while they wait for a table or for their food to arrive—and a stone fireplace with a deer head displayed above the mantel. The peg games have been present in Cracker Barrel stores since the opening of the first store, and continue to be produced by the same family in Lebanon, Tennessee. In addition to the items that are present in all Cracker Barrel locations, the decor of each store typically includes artifacts related to the local history of the area. The chain has a warehouse in Tennessee for collecting artifacts from across the U.S., where it catalogs and stores them for future decorating use. For each location, a team led by Cracker Barrel's decor manager, Larry Singleton, designs the store's layout of artifacts including vintage posters, signage and items such as farm implements. The theme of each restaurant is tailored to the local history and environment, designed at the warehouse and shipped to the new store to be assembled.
Reception
Cracker Barrel is known to have "extremely loyal" customers, some of whom have regularly eaten at the restaurant for decades. In 2009, an article in The Tennessean on the chain's 40th anniversary reported that a group of friends had eaten breakfast at the Lebanon location each Tuesday for over 20 years. Some customers know the menu by heart and travel across the country to visit different Cracker Barrel locations. Cracker Barrel has celebrity fans who are not officially affiliated with the restaurant but have mentioned the chain in interviews and profiles. Among these are Selena Gomez, Kellie Pickler, and Taylor Swift (who has stated that Cracker Barrel's breakfast is her favorite food).
Cracker Barrel has received awards for its food and customer service. In particular, the restaurant chain was named the "Best Family Dining" restaurant by a nationwide "Choice in Chains" consumer poll in Restaurants & Institutions magazine for 19 consecutive years, prior to the magazine ceasing publication. In 2011, Cracker Barrel was voted the top family dining restaurant in a new poll begun by trade publication Nation's Restaurant News.
Destinations magazine has presented Cracker Barrel with awards for best chain restaurant, and in 2010 and 2011 the Zagat survey named Cracker Barrel the "Best Breakfast". Cracker Barrel has also received awards for other aspects of its business, including being selected by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America as the 2011 OBIE Hall of Fame Award recipient for its long-standing use of outdoor advertising.
History
First location and early growth
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store was founded in 1969 by Dan Evins, a sales representative for Shell Oil, who developed the restaurant and gift store concept initially as a plan to improve gasoline sales. Designed like the traditional country store Evins remembered from his childhood, with a name chosen to give it a Southern country theme, Cracker Barrel was intended to attract the interest of highway travelers. The first restaurant was built close to Interstate 40, on a piece of land owned by Evins in Lebanon, Tennessee. The restaurant opened in September 1969, serving Southern cuisine including biscuits, grits, country ham and turnip greens at affordable prices.
Evins incorporated Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in February 1970, and more locations soon followed. In the early 1970s, Evins leased land on gasoline station sites near interstate highways to build more Cracker Barrel restaurants. These early locations all featured gas pumps on-site, however Cracker Barrel began to build restaurants without pumps during gasoline shortages in the mid to late 1970s. From the late 1970s through the early 1980s, the company significantly reduced the number of gas stations on-site, eventually phasing them out altogether, as the company focused on its increasing restaurant and gift sales revenues. However, the restaurants continued to be located near highway exits, and their main customer base remained interstate travelers. Cracker Barrel became a publicly traded company in 1981 in order to raise funds for further expansion of the chain. It floated over half a million shares, raising $4.6 million. Following the initial public offering, Cracker Barrel grew at a rate of around 20% per year, and by 1987 the company had become a chain of over 50 units in eight states, with annual net sales of almost $81 million.
New markets
Cracker Barrel's consistent growth in the 1980s and 1990s was noted by industry journals and Forbes magazine, particularly for its $1 billion market value. By 1993 the chain's revenue was nearly twice that of any other family restaurant. To build on this success, in 1994, Cracker Barrel tested a carry-out only store, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Corner Market, aiming to expand into suburban residential locations. The first Corner Market location offered many of the same dishes as Cracker Barrel's traditional stores, however all food was prepared for take-out instead of sit-down dining. Cracker Barrel ultimately decided not to pursue this "home-meal replacement" concept; the then-president of Cracker Barrel stated that it created confusion for the chain's customers who had expected the same service and atmosphere from the Corner Market stores as from its traditional stores.
In addition to the Corner Market stores, in the 1990s, Cracker Barrel expanded into new markets through the establishment of more traditional Cracker Barrel locations, the majority of them outside the South. The chain also tested alterations to its menus to adapt to new regions. Cracker Barrel added regional dishes to its menus, including eggs and salsa in Texas and Reuben sandwiches in New York, but continued to offer its most popular menu items, including country fried steak and roast beef, in all restaurants.
Refocus
By September 1997, Cracker Barrel had 314 restaurants and was continuing to grow, aiming to increase the number of stores by approximately 50 per year in the following five years, according to The Wall Street Journal. Cracker Barrel closed its Corner Market operations in 1997, and refocused on its restaurant and gift store locations. Its president at the time stated that the chain was focusing on strengthening its core theme, offering traditional foods and retail in a country store setting, with good service and country music. In 1998, Cracker Barrel opened its first restaurant and gift store not located near to a highway, in Dothan, Alabama. The company celebrated its 30th anniversary in 1999, and, to commemorate the event, it launched a series of community-focused activities including a nationwide book drive and a sweepstakes, with trips to the Country Music Association Awards and rocking chairs among the prizes.
Innovation and later growth
The number of combined restaurants and stores owned by Cracker Barrel approximately doubled between 1997 and 2000, to over 420 locations. In 2000 and 2001, the company addressed staffing and infrastructure issues related to this rapid growth by implementing a more rigorous recruitment strategy and introducing new technology, including an order-placement system. From the late 1990s to the mid-2000s, the company focused on opening new locations in residential areas, where it would be able to gain customers from local residents and workers. In 2006, it updated its marketing, also to encourage new customers, changing the design of its highway billboard advertisements to include images of menu items, including pancakes, biscuits and sweet corn, as well as the company's logo. Following the economic downturn in 2008 and 2009, Cracker Barrel continued to grow and perform well. Its then-chief executive officer, Michael A. Woodhouse, stated in an interview with The Tennessean that the company aimed to provide consistent value for its customers, which was reflected in its continued success. Cracker Barrel celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2009, and by 2011 had opened over 600 restaurants in 42 states. In September 2011, Cracker Barrel announced that its revenue for the 2011 fiscal year was $2.43 billion.
Corporate overview
Business model
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is a chain of wholly-owned locations offering sit-down dining and retail. The restaurant is aimed at the family and casual dining market and also markets itself to people traveling on the interstate highways, as the majority of its locations are close to highway exits. The Cracker Barrel stores are designed and marketed around a country theme, offering traditional Southern cuisine in stores designed to evoke a rustic, country ambiance through their decor and background country music.
According to industry commentators Cracker Barrel has been consistent in its sales performance, and it has been well regarded by financial analysts, particularly for its cost controls and measured growth. Cracker Barrel's brand includes a focus on customer service and the company has stated it aims to keep employee turnover low, in order to provide better trained staff. Since the 1980s, Cracker Barrel has offered a formal training program with benefits for progressing through it to all of its employees.
Partnership and sponsorship
Cracker Barrel sponsored the NASCAR Atlanta 500 Cup from 1999 to 2001 and the Grand Ole Opry from 2004 to 2009. The company was the first presenting sponsor of the Grand Ole Opry. This sponsorship led to the company gaining connections within the Nashville music industry, following which it entered into partnership with a number of country music artists. The chain has established partnerships with artists including Alison Krauss, Charlie Daniels, Josh Turner, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Alan Jackson and Alabama, to offer CD releases and merchandise that are only sold at Cracker Barrel.
Diversity and discrimination claims
Policy toward sexual orientation
In 1991, an intra-company memo called for employees to be dismissed if they did not display "normal heterosexual values". The company stopped its implementation shortly after being introduced and stated it would not discriminate based on sexual orientation, after demonstrations by gay rights groups. Later, the company's founder, Dan Evins, stated that the policy had been a mistake. Following proposals by the New York City Employees Retirement System, a major shareholder at the time, in 2002 the company's shareholders voted 58% in favor of adding sexual orientation to the company's nondiscrimination policy.
Alleged racial discrimination
In July 1999, a discrimination lawsuit was filed against Cracker Barrel by a group of former employees, who claimed that the company had discriminated against them on the grounds of race. Two years later, in December 2001, the same attorneys filed a separate lawsuit representing 21 customers of the restaurant, alleging racial discrimination in its treatment of guests. Regarding both the 1999 and 2001 accusations, Cracker Barrel officials disputed the claims and stated that the company was committed to fair treatment of its employees and customers. In 2004, Cracker Barrel signed a five year agreement with the U.S. Justice Department to introduce "effective nondiscrimination policies and procedures" including: new equal opportunity training; creating a new system to log, investigate and resolve complaints of discrimination; and publicizing its non-discrimination policies. It also paid a $2 million settlement to end a suit alleging race and sexual harassment at three Illinois restaurants, in 2006. Following the suits, Cracker Barrel stores began displaying a sign in their front foyer explaining its non-discrimination policy, and also added the policy and details of how to make a complaint to its menu and website.
Diversity
In addition to Cracker Barrel's equal opportunity policies, the company has focused on improving the company's diversity through training and providing resources to minority employees. As of 2002, 23% of Cracker Barrel's employees were minorities, including over 11% of its management and executives. In the early 2000s, the company began outreach to minority employees, including offering a training plan to help employees whose first language is Spanish to learn English. Cracker Barrel is on the Corporate Advisory Board for the Texas Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and is a corporate sponsor of the NAACP Leadership 500 Summit, where three of its officials were moderators and panelists in May 2011. The company has been praised for its gender diversity, particularly on its board of directors, which includes three women out of eleven total board members. Its chief executive officer, Sandra Cochran, is the second woman in Tennessee to hold that office in a publicly traded company, as of August 2011.
Cracker Barrel has been listed in the Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) Corporate Equality Index, which ranks companies by comparison of their non-discrimination policies and actions towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees and customers. In the 2011 survey, HRC noted that Cracker Barrel had established a non-discrimination policy and had introduced diversity training that included training related to sexual orientation.
Community involvement
Cracker Barrel has supported a wide range of charities, through one-off donations, promotional events and partnerships with charitable organizations. The chain has supported local charities and causes in communities where its restaurants are located, including donating over $1 million of meals to hurricane evacuees and volunteers in the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Following severe flooding in Nashville in 2010, Cracker Barrel made a donation to a charity involved in relief efforts and also established Cracker Barrel Cares Inc., a non-profit organization aimed at providing support to Cracker Barrel employees, funded by the chain's employees. Cracker Barrel has also formed partnerships with charities, such as its sponsorship of the Wounded Warrior Project, a non-profit organization working with injured veterans.
In addition to its work with charitable organizations, Cracker Barrel has partnered with organizations to provide community programs and scholarships, including providing a scholarship through the National Black MBA Association, and job skills programs with 100 Black Men of America and the Restaurant and Lodging Association. The company has also provided sponsorship to groups including 100 Black Men of America.
References
- "Frequently Asked Questions". crackerbarrel.com. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
- "Management". investor.crackerbarrel.com. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
- ^ "Financial Results CBRL: Income Statement". moneycentral.msn. MSN. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
- ^ "Financial Results CBRL: Balance". moneycentral.msn. MSN. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
- ^ Adler Thorp, Susan (April 28, 1986). "Summer Tourists Improve Picture for Cracker Barrel". Memphis Business Journal. p. 10.
- ^ Rhein, Liz (June 10, 1987). "Along the interstate with Cracker Barrel". Restaurant Business. No. V86. p. 112. ISSN 0097-8043.
- Hoover, Ken (April 25, 2005). "Cracker Barrel Served Up Piping Hot Profit". Investor's Business Daily. p. B20.
- ^ Papiernik, Richard L (November 27, 1995). "Down-home image can't hide Cracker Barrel's fine tuned focus". Nation's Restaurant News. p. 11. ISSN 0028-0518.
- ^ Tarquinio, J. Alex (September 25, 1997). "Cracker Barrel Customizes Menus". The Wall Street Journal. p. 1B.
- Genovese, Peter (August 18, 2000). "Morning glory". The Star-Ledger. p. 25.
- ^ "Cracker Barrel turns 40". The Tennessean. August 31, 2009.
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Community". Nation's Restaurant News.
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at position 90 (help) - Richardson, Hamilton (May 30, 2009). "CD sales support injured vets". The Montgomery Advertiser.
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External links
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store website
Category:Restaurant chains in the United States Category:Theme restaurants Category:Companies established in 1969 Category:1969 establishments in the United States Category:Lebanon, Tennessee Category:Restaurants in Tennessee Category:Companies listed on NASDAQ Category:Retail companies of the United States