What Became of Cracker Barrel’s Cozy, Nostalgic Dining Rooms?

Cracker Barrel — the restaurant chain known for Southern-style comfort cuisine and country homestyle decor since 1969 — is entering a new era. You’ll still be able to find the combination restaurant and gift shop perched alongside America’s highways, but if you haven’t made a pit stop recently, brace yourself for your next visit. Those nostalgia-packed dining rooms and stores that were like little museums of early 20th century rural life? They’ve transformed. As per visitor and employee accounts of the changes on Reddit and TikTok, along with announcements from the chain itself, Cracker Barrel is thinning out its vintage decor and pivoting its overall aesthetic in what some fans are calling a misguided attempt to reach newer generations of customers.

Plenty of brands have undergone similar transformations, of course, but few started out as distinctive as Cracker Barrel’s iconic look (which you can totally DIY in your own kitchen, by the way). For over 50 years, customers ate fried chicken and steak fries in spindle-backed wood chairs, surrounded by dark, rustic walls covered in authentic antiques: road signs, kitchen tools, old advertisements, and just about anything evoking classic country living. Now, there’s noticeably less decor, the walls have been brightened with lighter paint tones, and the seating’s been swapped out for booths and sleeker chairs. While the exact changes vary by location, some visitors have also mentioned dividers (specifically lattices that used to feature additional decor) being taken down. It’s a bold move, considering Cracker Barrel dining rooms have looked pretty much the same since 1969.

Cracker Barrel got its name and appearance from the general stores of a bygone era, an atmosphere that helped it nab “top family dining restaurant” in a Nation’s Restaurant News survey. But that was back in 2011. Cracker Barrel has had a host of challenges in recent years, including leadership changes, dipping numbers of once-loyal elderly customers, and stock on the decline since 2021. But the good news is that the folks behind the once-beloved chain are aware — CEO Julie Masino said, “We’re just not as relevant as we once were” in a 2024 conference call.

So, enter the brand refresh. Planned to take place over three years, dining room remodels have already been underway at many locations. And while Cracker Barrel customers have called the new look “cold” and comparable to dining at McDonald’s or IHOP, others are welcoming the changes. As one Reddit user claiming to be an employee noted, the brighter colors and sparser antiques lining the walls makes it easier for staff to clean. Even so, many Reddit posters saying they’ve visited Cracker Barrel in recent years state that it’s not the dining room atmosphere, but the food quality and service standards that need to change to keep the business afloat.

It should come as no surprise that, outside of the dining rooms, the attached gift shops and front porches are getting brightened up to match the new look. Rocking chairs still greet customers on Cracker Barrel’s front porches, now accompanied with fresh, pale exteriors that flow into brightly-lit stores with cleaner displays. Beyond visual changes, the menu isn’t staying unscathed as part of the modernization attempts. Along with the dining room revamp, the chain announced it was taking on the “largest menu test” in its history. Several new menu items have already been added as a result, including green chile cornbread and hash brown casserole. Cracker Barrel also now has Early Dinner Deals, offering smaller portions of some items for reduced costs between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays.

In the meantime, longtime fans may note that Cracker Barrel has changed up its menu many times over the years. Not only is the restaurant no stranger to seasonal changes (campfire meals for the win during summer!), but many items have had limited runs or been otherwise discontinued. There was also that time Cracker Barrel tried and failed to start a carry-out-only mini store. So, while the latest adjustments may be startling, it could all be viewed as just another step in a long history of transformation. Though if you’re not ready to say goodbye to Cracker Barrel’s old homey dining rooms just yet, you may still be able to find them — the chain doesn’t plan to complete its full brand makeover until 2026.