Cracker Barrel

Name

Cracker Barrel

Legal name

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.

Website

https://crackerbarrel.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Dining Restaurants

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Caterers (72232), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Farm-to-Table & Contemporary American Restaurants (THAFACAF)

Keywords

• Homestyle restaurant dining
• Country store retail
• Comfort food chain
• Restaurant catering services
• Loyalty rewards program

Headquarters

HQ city

Lebanon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining Sales: Core revenue from dine-in meals at approximately 660 Cracker Barrel locations across 44 states. Menu includes homestyle country cooking such as meatloaf, chicken n' dumplins, country fried steak, breakfast items served all day, and various lunch/dinner options. Revenue is transaction-based, one-time per customer visit.
2. Retail Merchandise (Old Country Store): In-restaurant retail shop selling nostalgic candies, home decor, antiques, and branded merchandise. Products include vintage chocolate bars, commemorative items, and America 250 themed merchandise. Revenue is one-time per transaction.
3. Catering Services: Catering for medium to large groups with buffet-style options, party platters, and family meals. Includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner options for events.
4. Delivery and To-Go Orders: Third-party delivery partnerships and direct online/mobile app ordering for takeaway and curbside pickup. Also includes Family Meals and Heat & Serve holiday meals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cracker Barrel operates a combined restaurant and retail concept offering homestyle Southern comfort food (meatloaf, chicken n' dumplins, country fried steak, all-day breakfast) alongside an attached Old Country Store selling nostalgic candies, home decor, and branded merchandise. The company serves customers through approximately 660 company-owned locations across 44 US states with dine-in, takeout, curbside pickup, delivery, and catering channels.

Product overview

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store operates as a single unified brand with multiple service channels. The core offering is a full-service homestyle restaurant with attached retail store, complemented by digital ordering platforms (website and mobile app) and catering services. The company operates approximately 660 company-owned locations across 44 states under the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store brand, with Maple Street Biscuit Company as a subsidiary sub-brand. Key product offerings include: dine-in meals, takeout, curbside pickup, delivery service, and catering (Cracker Barrel Catering). The Cracker Barrel Rewards loyalty program with nearly 12 million members supports all channels, while Gift Cards (physical, digital, and business bulk) and the Mobile App with Dine-In Mobile Pay serve as enabling products. The company also runs seasonal promotions including the Fuel Your Summer Road Trip Sweepstakes and limited-time menu items like Campfire Meals. The America250 partnership in 2026 adds patriotic-themed experiences and merchandise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Maple Street Biscuit Company: Fast-casual breakfast and brunch restaurant chain, separately branded subsidiary of Cracker Barrel.

Products and services

• Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Restaurant & Retail The flagship Cracker Barrel Old Country Store concept offering homestyle Southern comfort food (meatloaf, chicken n' dumplins, country fried steak, all-day breakfast) alongside an attached Old Country Store retail shop. Operates nearly 660 company-owned locations across 44 US states with dine-in, takeout, curbside pickup, and delivery channels.
• Maple Street Biscuit Company Subsidiary fast-casual breakfast and brunch restaurant chain operated by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., providing a complementary brand within the company's portfolio.
• Cracker Barrel Rewards

Quantifiable outcome

• Stock recovered 70%+ year-to-date by June 2026 following logo controversy, becoming S&P Composite 1500 Restaurants Index's best performer
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, minor and subsidiary.

• America250flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2026Cracker Barrel partnered with America250, the national organization charged by Congress to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The partnership includes in-store experiences, limited-time patriotic menu offerings, commemorative merchandise in the Old Country Store, reimagined rocking chair designs at select locations and America250 events. The collaboration aligns with Cracker Barrel's heritage brand positioning and appeals to patriotic consumer sentiment.
• ID.mecoreTechnology or IntegrationID.me is used to verify military service credentials for Cracker Barrel's 10% military discount program. Military members verify their status through ID.me's identity verification system, which uses bank-grade encryption. This partnership enables automatic discount application at checkout for eligible veterans and active-duty service members who are Cracker Barrel Rewards members.
• Feeding AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCracker Barrel launched the Cracker Barrel Food for Families initiative in 2021, a multi-faceted national partnership with Feeding America. The initiative focuses on three interconnected areas: addressing food insecurity, supporting community needs through food donations, and reducing food waste. The partnership supports the company's philanthropic mission of fighting hunger in America.
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle TennesseeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFor over 20 years, Cracker Barrel and the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Foundation have contributed food and funds to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, where the company was originally founded in Lebanon. This partnership is part of the company's long-standing commitment to fighting hunger in local communities.
• Maple Street Biscuit CompanysubsidiaryOthersCracker Barrel owns the Maple Street Biscuit Company, a subsidiary chain. This is not a third-party partnership but rather a company-owned brand expansion.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Denny's: Denny's is the closest direct peer: a nationwide family casual dining chain serving American comfort food 24/7 along highways, with a similar value-oriented menu, diner atmosphere, and customer base of road travelers and families.
• Bob Evans Restaurants: Bob Evans operates a similar full-service homestyle restaurant chain serving comfort food with a rural/Americana identity; comparable menu positioning, pricing, and family-casual customer demographic.
• IHOP: IHOP is a direct peer in family casual breakfast/all-day dining with comparable pricing, national footprint, and family/traveler customer base including loyalty program engagement.
• Waffle House: Waffle House is a Southern, highway-adjacent counter-service diner chain with strong brand recognition in roadside dining; comparable to Cracker Barrel in traveler-customer focus, regional concentration, and 24/7 operations model.
• Golden Corral: Golden Corral is a direct competitor in family value-oriented casual dining, offering American comfort food including homestyle meats and sides at comparable price points targeting families and travelers.

Broad incumbents

• Texas Roadhouse: Texas Roadhouse is a larger publicly traded incumbent in casual American dining with strong brand loyalty, comparable suburban/highway placement, and steakhouse-comfort food overlap with Cracker Barrel's menu.
• Darden Restaurants: Darden owns multiple casual-dining chains (Olive Garden, LongHorn, Cheddar's, Yard House) that compete with Cracker Barrel for family/casual dining occasions; relevant as the broader incumbent portfolio operating in the same consumer occasions.

Others

• Steak 'n Shake: Steak 'n Shake is operationally relevant as it is owned by Sardar Biglari, the same activist investor pressuring Cracker Barrel; it overlaps with Cracker Barrel in American diner/comfort food positioning and provides a comparable profile for evaluating Biglari's strategic playbook.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/crackerbarrel
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CrackerBarrelOCS
• Facebookfacebook.com/CrackerBarrel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cracker-barrel
• Instagraminstagram.com/crackerbarrel/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@crackerbarrel
• Pinterestpinterest.com/crackerbarrel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cracker Barrel