How does a comfort food restaurant known for its rocking chairs and peg games have such staying power in today's cutthroat food industry? Cracker Barrel has managed to do it, one hashbrown casserole at a time. But it's not just the food that keeps customers coming back. Every Cracker Barrel restaurant has an Old Country Store attached to it where you can buy everything from cast iron cookware to apparel. One of the store's top sellers, predictably, is their rocking chairs, which are made by the family-run, five-generation Hinkle Chair Company, who cranks out 83,000 of the chairs every year for the chain. Quilts and bedspreads, snack food items, replica electronics including old-time jukeboxes, and items for the military are also on offer.
Here's where Cracker Barrel was smart: To pay your check, you have to walk to the register located in the store, which means plenty of opportunities to buy those candles and country music CDs on your way to the parking lot. In 2014, their retail stores accounted for a fifth of the chain's total revenue, and that's about $2.7 billion in annual revenue. It definitely helps with Cracker Barrel's bottom line, and just imagine how many cowboy hats, hummingbird night lights and metal watering-can salt and pepper shakers that translates to.
Chances are you've driven by a Cracker Barrel restaurant while on a road trip. With their 660 restaurants in 45 states, it seems like you see their front porches and rocking chairs everywhere, and those road trippers are a part of their success. In fact, the company says that travelers make up over 40 percent of their business, and Cracker Barrel is such a popular destination they even have a page on their website dedicated to welcoming tour groups and explaining how tourists can make the most of their stay.
The restaurant doesn't just attract tour groups and people looking for biscuits and gravy, though. Lovebirds have also been known to flock to the Cracker Barrel, including an adorable couple in their 80s who made it their mission to visit every Cracker Barrel in the United States. And while that's some serious dedication, you probably know someone who does something similar and just has to stop at a Cracker Barrel when they're on the road, whether it's for a vacation or work.
The proof is in the numbers. With 217 million guests served each year all across the country, Cracker Barrel is a very popular destination for all kinds of people. Keep watching the video to find out the real reason why people can’t get enough Cracker Barrel.
#CrackerBarrel #CountryMeal
From candles to rocking chairs | 0:13
Located in 45 states | 1:01
Looks like Grandma's house | 2:01
The price is right | 2:42
Made in America | 3:15
Something for everyone | 4:04
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