A restaurant chain known for its antique-looking interior is undergoing a modern makeover \u2014 and many of its customers are not welcoming the change. Cracker Barrel announced it would be updating the interior of its stores, ditching the eclectic, well-worn Southern look in favor of a modern farmhouse aesthetic.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on in!\u201d says Brent, a district manager for Cracker Barrel, in an Instagram video showing a renovated location in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. He shows viewers around the space with new lighting, tables, seating, and even sound buffering in the ceilings. The old design\u2019s lattice, which used to separate tables and sections, has been replaced with a more open bookcase, and the store\u2019s paint color is now a lighter gray. Brent remarks how guests have been \u201camazed at how bright and how open\u201d the space is now.<\/p>\n
Straight away, people in the comments had mixed reviews for the revamp. \u201cBrent, NO,\u201d wrote one person. \u201cI like the old eclectic look and country charm. Don\u2019t change it,\u201d commented another. While some people said they liked the updated look, most commenters expressed concern. \u201cPlease don\u2019t paint everything Gray!\u201d wrote one customer. \u201cI love the green walls and [all] the antique and vintage Americana decor. You say you\u2019re trying to appeal to younger customers. Well, my grandchildren and their friends (ages 8 to 17) love going to the original Cracker Barrels with us,\u201d they continued. \u201cI hope we don\u2019t have to make Texas Roadhouse our new favorite restaurant.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to a May report in The Wall Street Journal, Cracker Barrel has been slowly revamping stores since its August 2024 announcement. The company said in March that it aimed to finish remodeling 25 to 30 out of roughly 660 restaurants, and refreshing an additional 25 to 30 locations, by this summer. Cracker Barrel declined TODAY.com\u2019s request for comment.<\/p>\n
While Cracker Barrel has reported an increase in revenue and guest traffic since the remodeling plan was announced, the general sentiment online is that the redesign lacks character. \u201cDon\u2019t tell me Cracker Barrel is going modern too,\u201d one TikToker wrote on a July 2024 video showing their store, which lacked the typical tchotchkes. The TikToker expanded on their feelings in the video\u2019s caption: \u201cUnsure about this Cracker Barrel remodel\u2026 The booth was comfy and all, but wasn\u2019t your butt going numb in those old wooden chairs a part of the experience?! At least they kept some of the trinkets!\u201d<\/p>\n
On the other side of the coin, one Cracker Barrel maintenance worker said on a Reddit post about the remodel that they welcome the change because it helps ease the workload for employees. \u201cFirst off, the lattice being taken down is a huge improvement because it collects tons of dust,\u201d the worker wrote. \u201cNot having to deal with that means less dirt buildup and a cleaner atmosphere overall. Same goes for the revamp in the kitchen\u2014new equipment and layouts are making it easier for us to maintain higher standards of cleanliness and efficiency.\u201d The worker added that the lighter colors and simpler decor of the remodel \u201caren\u2019t just for looks\u201d but help employees clean more expeditiously.<\/p>\n
Cracker Barrel’s modern makeover has received mixed reviews from customers, with many expressing concern that the redesign lacks character. While the company has reported an increase in revenue and guest traffic, the general sentiment online is that the old design was a part of the Cracker Barrel experience. On the other hand, some employees have welcomed the change, citing easier cleaning and maintenance as benefits.<\/p>\n
A: Cracker Barrel is updating the interior of its stores, ditching the eclectic, well-worn Southern look in favor of a modern farmhouse aesthetic.<\/p>\n
A: Customers have had mixed reviews, with many expressing concern that the redesign lacks character and preferring the old design.<\/p>\n
A: Employees have cited easier cleaning and maintenance as benefits of the remodel, with the lighter colors and simpler decor making it easier to clean and maintain higher standards of cleanliness and efficiency.<\/p>\n
A: Cracker Barrel aims to finish remodeling 25 to 30 out of roughly 660 restaurants, and refreshing an additional 25 to 30 locations, by this summer.<\/p>\n
A: Yes, Cracker Barrel has reported an increase in revenue and guest traffic since the remodeling plan was announced.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Introduction to Cracker Barrel’s Modern Makeover A restaurant chain known for its antique-looking interior is undergoing a modern makeover \u2014 and many of its customers are not welcoming the change. Cracker Barrel announced it would be updating the interior of its stores, ditching the eclectic, well-worn Southern look in favor of a modern farmhouse aesthetic. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":21263,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-21262","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dining"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/media.nbcnewyork.com\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-916579618-e1754615453600.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&resize=1200%2C675&w=1200&resize=1200,675&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21262"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21262"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21262\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21264,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21262\/revisions\/21264"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21262"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21262"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21262"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}