Cracker Barrel Is Struggling

[babs]

They really should be doing better in their core areas, given the decline of Bob Evans, which has a similar menu and has a lot of geographic overlap. The cafeteria chains in the South, which tend to overlap in clientele and menu, also have steadily declined and should have offered another opportunity. Even with their older customers, etc. the decline of their competition should be enabling them to show more growth.

Despite opening in California and Oregon, they've mostly gone into places like Bakersfield or second ring suburbs (Portland) where they should succeed. Outside of the South, they usually stick to outer suburban rings or satellite towns rather than true "big city" locations and even in the South they don't go far "into town" unless it's near a major interstate junction. They've been opening very few stores per year, even pre-COVID and their attention recently has been on their biscuit chain which seems like a response to the success of Tudor's Biscuit World, a West Virginia-based chain (that includes franchising) with a strong following. Interestingly, they've stayed out of Tudor's territory until recently and Tudor's expansion has mostly been more northerly and away from Cracker Barrel's Maple Street chain.

Portland has TONS of great local places. Cracker Barrel is not the right place for Portland.

Maybe Spokane or Klamath Falls... would work.

Cracker Barrel in the suburbs of Portland appears to be doing just fine. Never been there or care to go there, but I frequently see crowds outside waiting to get in. Chain restaurants have always struggled inside the city. Not surprised the Jantzen Beach location closed.

[trainman]

Cracker Barrel started a delivery-only operation in Hollywood in the fall of 2021, making use of a contracted ghost kitchen (original press release), and started a second one in the suburb of Lawndale in March 2022 (article), but both appear to have been shut down. The closest "real" Cracker Barrels to L.A. are in Camarillo and Victorville.