#FunFoodFactFriday
On September 19, 1969, the first Cracker Barrel Old Country Store opened in Lebanon, TN.
Founder Dan Evins began his concept as a restaurant–gas station combo to help his family’s oil business and give travelers a place to rest and socialize. By 1977, the chain had grown to 13 Cracker Barrel locations.
However, the oil embargo of the mid-70s led to a switch in the chain’s focus. They began expanding the menu and creating a “country store” shopping area for the restaurants.
The name “cracker barrel” was a nod to the barrels often found on the front porches of country stores. They were used to ship soda crackers to avoid breakage and then became a gathering spot for people to visit and play checkers while visiting the stores.
The first menus were handwritten by Dan Evins himself and contained intentional misspellings and folksy phrases to make them look and feel like they were written on brown paper bags. The menu included standard Southern cuisine, such as biscuits, grits, country ham, and turnip greens.
The gift shops typically stock toys reminiscent of the 1950s and 1960s along with home décor and classic brands of snack foods and candy. They also sell country music CDs, DVDs, cookbooks, branded mixes, and more.
Cracker Barrel now has 662 restaurants in 45 states.
Other Fun Facts:
*** Each Cracker Barrel location contains around 1,000 artifacts that complement the town and the region of its location. However, there are five items found in every location: a deer head (usually above the dining room fireplace), horseshoes (above all front door exteriors), a cookstove (often in the gift shop), an axe yoke (above the front doors), and a traffic light (to show the way to the restrooms).
*** Cracker Barrel has an employee-funded non-profit organization called Cracker Barrel Cares, which helps Cracker Barrel employees in times of need. Additionally, the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Foundation supports nonprofits and charities around the country.
*** The most popular candy sold at Cracker Barrel is the thin sticks, and the chain sells over 13 million of them per year!
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The Newell Group
Medical student|| Serial volunteer||Sexual and Reproductive health advocate||Children and Teenagers' educator|| Millennium Fellow 2023|| MCN Global Admissions Committee Member 2024.
1moThis is beautiful. Kudos. Looking forward to also creating bright future for kids here in Nigeria.