Cracker Barrel has been an iconic franchise in the American restaurant landscape for decades, established all the way back in 1969. However, it has been announced recently that the brand many U.S. residents have come to know and love is now revamping nearly everything, from its menu, stores, and customer experience.
This change will be a $700 million investment, which should take around three years to complete. Cracker Barrel has seen a 16% decline in foot traffic and hopes to bring back customers and regain market share after its transformation is complete.
Reasons Behind The Overhaul
Cracker Barrel once saw a vast amount of customers coming in to dine at restaurants across the country, especially for dinner. However, in recent years, the number of dinnertime guests has declined. This is most likely due to changing customer habits, such as moving over to competitors that offer more appealing experiences.
Cracker Barrel has been ranked in the middle of other similar restaurants and has weaknesses in its menu appeal and convenience factor. These factors have led to a brand overhaul, focusing on key areas to make Cracker Barrel stand out in a saturated market of restaurant chains.
Store Overhauls
Part of the store remodeling includes modern furniture, improved lighting, and updated walls and floors. Overall, this should attract modern consumers looking for a more welcoming atmosphere. The lattices that Crack Barrels have always had will be replaced with open bookshelves to open up the restaurants more and make them feel spacious.
There are also plans for new seating accommodations, such as booths and banquet tables. While much of the restaurant’s facelift will modernize it, Cracker Barrel still wants to retain some of its identity, keeping in iconic elements like rocking chairs and stone fireplaces.
A Menu Change
The fresh, new look that still encapsulates nostalgia isn’t the only significant change that’ll happen to the restaurant chain. The menu is another component that will see a drastic overhaul to appeal to consumers. The new dinner menu will make ordering simple and offer new dishes for Cracker Barrel, such as Maple Bacon Grilled Chicken, Pot Roast Supper, and Country Fried Pork Chops.
The menu will keep old favorite orders while chopping the dinner menu into three distinct categories to make ordering less overwhelming for consumers. The categories will be Home Cooked Classics, Down Home Daily Dinners, and Crack Barrel Favorites.
Online Reach
Cracker Barrel is also innovating its online reach by improving digital ordering and expanding delivery options to be more in line with modern competitors. The franchises plan to partner with delivery platforms to increase online delivery reach as much as possible, giving consumers far and wide the option to order from them.
This model should attract a new, younger consumer base that prefers convenience and fast service above all else. This is especially important in regions where online ordering is prevalent and is quickly replacing the physical dining experience.
Improving Employee Experience
The efforts touched on so far focus on the consumer experience and bringing in both old and customers. However, Cracker Barrel also plans on looking at other key aspects, such as its employees. The company aims to update training models, increase benefits, and improve workplace conditions.
So far, stores that have adopted these changes have seen a rise in employee morale and engagement. This could spill over into the consumer experience, with staff being more energetic and friendly during work hours. While this comes with short-term costs, employees lay much of the foundation for a successful restaurant chain.
Updating Retail Sections
Cracker Barrel has always offered retail stores inside of its many locations. This aspect has also been revamped, with new fittings and layouts, to attract more customers and improve the overall Cracker Barrel experience while retaining the cultural charm that the brand has maintained for many years.
Products will be better displayed, and simplified navigation will encourage guests to browse at their leisure and increase profits for the retail side of the franchises. This stream of revenue could coincide with an influx of new customers brought in from the revamped restaurant, making it an essential section to improve.
Marketing
All of the revamping efforts wouldn’t be adequate without making consumers aware of the changes. Marketing is an essential tool that Cracker Barrel is also improving through engaging with new marketing agencies to overall its brand messaging and outreach. Cracker Barrel aims to engage more of the community and create a sense of emotional connection through a welcoming atmosphere, hospitality, and the comfort of home cooked style meals at any time of the day.
Its marketing could attract new customers who share these values, as many modern restaurants prioritize convenience and pace over a sense of community.
Feedback
With some locations already having these restructuring efforts completed, early customer feedback is essential to indicate whether the $700 million investment will be worth the trouble. Many customers have already given their opinions, praising modern improvements such as better lighting and a more open feeling to the dining experience.
While catering to new customers through modernization is important, longtime diners have expressed concerns over the franchises losing their identity. Many customers enjoy the nostalgia that Cracker Barrel has to offer, so balancing models that attract modern consumers while keeping loyal ones will be a difficult mark to land on. If Cracker Barrel can achieve this, then it will set itself up for a bright future.
Preparing For The Future
Cracker Barrel’s bid to stay relevant in a rapidly changing and competitive market is costing the company $700 million through updating both its restaurant and retail stores, simplifying menus while keeping nostalgic favorites, and expanding digital reach.
This is not done lightly and is needed to keep the franchise from slowly fading into the background of other franchises. This investment has high hopes of paying off and helping Cracker Barrel prepare for the next several decades of changing consumer habits.
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