When people think of Cracker Barrel, they tend to think of the restaurant’s menu of Southern staples, like chicken-fried steak, or Cracker Barrel’s iconic interior appearance. However, the thing that arguably makes Cracker Barrel really stand out is the gift shop. No trip to Cracker Barrel is complete without a quick perusal of the goods in the chain’s Old Country Store.
Back in the ’90s, Cracker Barrel tried to capitalize on the love for the gift shop by creating a carry-out-only mini-store. Known as the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Corner Market, a few of these store locations were opened in 1994, primarily in suburban areas and neighborhoods. These locations completely lacked a restaurant and was primarily focused on the gift shop aspect.
The Corner Market stores were meant to be a fast casual spinoff of the sit-down service Cracker Barrel was known for. A few test locations were opened but the idea was ultimately shut down in 1997.
Fast casual at Cracker Barrel
While many of us love Cracker Barrel’s iconic gift shop, it often comes as a shock to many that Cracker Barrel ever attempted to create a store without a full restaurant attached. Perhaps the lack of delicious food and Southern hospitality kept potential customers from coming in. Although the exact reason for the end of the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Corner Markets isn’t clear, the company president at the time, Ron Magruder, remarked that Cracker Barrel would be focusing more on its core themes, particularly the combination of food and retail in one setting.
For the most part, sit-down service has remained supreme for Cracker Barrel since then, but the idea of fast casual never fully left. Back in 2016, the chain announced another attempt at a fast casual spinoff, this time called Holler & Dash. However, unlike the mini-store concept of the ’90s, Holler & Dash is meant to be a limited-service breakfast and lunch only location. In short, while fast casual spinoffs are still on the menu for the chain, the idea of takeout-only locations seem to be a thing of the past.
