Cracker Barrel closes Medford, OR location

[bryceleinan]

In what is probably not a surprise to many of us who follow Cracker Barrel on the West Coast, Cracker Barrel has closed its last remaining Oregon location in Medford:

https://kobi5.com/news/medford-cracker- ... ly-225996/

Mom and I were there in October, and the place was dead. It’s a shame they closed suddenly, but that’s what they did with all their Oregon locations.

[mjhale]

I'm guessing that Oregon is not exactly in the demographic of Cracker Barrel? Then again, my last experience with Cracker Barrel in West Virginia (which should be firmly in their demographic) was pretty bad. Got carry out since the hotel was right across the street from the restaurant. Picked it up right when they said it was ready. Chicken was burned, green beans and corn obviously from a can, cornbread tasted heavily of shortening. If I hadn't been starving I would have taken it right back. Oh and this particular Cracker Barrel in West Virginia was dead too on a Saturday night around 5 PM, prime dinner time.

[storewanderer]

In what is probably not a surprise to many of us who follow Cracker Barrel on the West Coast, Cracker Barrel has closed its last remaining Oregon location in Medford:

https://kobi5.com/news/medford-cracker- ... ly-225996/

Mom and I were there in October, and the place was dead. It’s a shame they closed suddenly, but that’s what they did with all their Oregon locations.

I didn't understand why they kept Medford longer in the first place. It was running with reduced hours, a reduced menu, and outrageous prices.

The unit in Sacramento on Howe continues to run with a reduced menu, outrageous prices, is open 9 AM to 6 PM M-Th, 9 AM to 8 PM Fri-Sat, and 8 AM to 8 PM Sunday... look, I don't want to go off on a tangent here, but what kind of restaurant is open from 9 AM to 6 PM? I mean- you basically miss the breakfast crowd... you miss the dinner crowd... what is the point of even being open at all with those kind of hours?

The unit outside Sacramento in Rocklin has typicalish hours of 7 AM to 9 PM (10 PM on Fri-Sat) but still has the reduced menu and outrageous prices. This unit appears to be struggling, but it must be doing better than the Sacramento unit since it has the longer hours.

The new unit in Reno has the full menu, open 7 AM to 10 PM (11 PM on Fri-Sat), and has pricing that is 10-20% lower than the Sacramento units across the board. From what I can tell this unit is doing well. I have heard good things about it. I haven't been there yet.

This chain does not seem to understand how to do business in states like CA and OR. Going in there with outrageous prices and a reduced menu what did they really think was going to happen? It is like someone in corporate wanted these units, finance advised against opening them due to high costs, operations seemed too lazy to figure out how to source the full menu out to the units, and from there it just spiraled downhill to things like closing at 6 PM, the reduced size menu, etc...

[ClownLoach]

It looks like the two obscure units in Santa Maria and Camarillo are running regular hours now, 7a-9p with Friday and Saturday open till 10p. Last time I drove past Camarillo it was dinnertime and I didn't see one person waiting for a table outside, meanwhile next door Finneys (a fast growing, no frills bar and grill chain with good prices and quality) had dozens waiting for a table.

[storewanderer]

It looks like the two obscure units in Santa Maria and Camarillo are running regular hours now, 7a-9p with Friday and Saturday open till 10p. Last time I drove past Camarillo it was dinnertime and I didn't see one person waiting for a table outside, meanwhile next door Finneys (a fast growing, no frills bar and grill chain with good prices and quality) had dozens waiting for a table.

These Cracker Barrels are massive dining rooms. By California standards for a chain of this type, they'd be doing great to be at even 50% capacity at dinner... wouldn't expect to see anyone waiting for a table there at dinner... maybe on a holiday weekend in the mid morning but that would be about the only possible time.

[Brian Lutz]

I suspect that a lot of Cracker Barrels do most of their business during breakfast time (especially on weekends), at least in the South. I know places like Waffle House, IHOP and some of the local diner chains (like Jake's Diner and Carolina's Diner here in Greensboro) tend to have waits for tables on Saturday and Sunday mornings, but you can typically just walk in later in the day.

[buckguy]

Away from Portland, Eugene and a few other places, Oregon has any number of cities where they should have been able to do fine. They are more of a breakfast place, although I think they get an early bird special type clientele for dinner, so closing at 9:00 won't lose them much business.

[BillyGr]

I suspect that a lot of Cracker Barrels do most of their business during breakfast time (especially on weekends), at least in the South. I know places like Waffle House, IHOP and some of the local dinner chains (like Jake's Dinner and Carolina's Dinner here in Greensboro) tend to have waits for tables on Saturday and Sunday mornings, but you can typically just walk in later in the day.

In other places as well - they are definitely known more for breakfast and even lunch than for dinners (not that they don't do dinner, just that it is not their busy time like many places).

[ClownLoach]

It looks like the two obscure units in Santa Maria and Camarillo are running regular hours now, 7a-9p with Friday and Saturday open till 10p. Last time I drove past Camarillo it was dinnertime and I didn't see one person waiting for a table outside, meanwhile next door Finneys (a fast growing, no frills bar and grill chain with good prices and quality) had dozens waiting for a table.

These Cracker Barrels are massive dining rooms. By California standards for a chain of this type, they'd be doing great to be at even 50% capacity at dinner... wouldn't expect to see anyone waiting for a table there at dinner... maybe on a holiday weekend in the mid morning but that would be about the only possible time.

Camarillo is definitely much smaller than the typical Cracker Barrel. Didn't get a close enough look at Santa Maria so not sure. That could be why they're holding in there.

[surfingdude]

Just noticed an article in the Santa Maria Times indicating the Santa Maria location closed at end of business yesterday.