Cracker Barrel comeback gains steam as loyal customer says return visit 'felt like coming home'

After months of backlash over a controversial rebranding that alienated many longtime customers, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is betting its future on returning to its roots, selling off secondary assets, cutting debt and focusing entirely on the iconic country restaurant chain.

The Tennessee-based restaurant chain announced last week that it has completed two major strategic moves designed to strengthen its core business, while raising its profitability outlook for fiscal year 2026.

The company completed a sale-leaseback transaction involving 26 company-owned restaurant locations, generating about $77 million in proceeds that it plans to use to reduce debt. It also sold most of its Maple Street Biscuit Company business to Biscuit Belly and said it will close the remaining 16 Maple Street locations, allowing the company to focus more heavily on the Cracker Barrel brand.

CRACKER BARREL SELLS MAPLE STREET BISCUIT COMPANY, CLOSES 16 LOCATIONS

"Our sale-leaseback transaction will allow us to opportunistically reduce debt while monetizing a portion of our owned real estate at an attractive valuation," President and CEO Julie Masino said in a statement. "Divesting Maple Street sharpens our focus on the core Cracker Barrel brand and is expected to improve profitability."

The moves come after a challenging stretch for the country-themed chain.

Last summer, Cracker Barrel faced vocal backlash over updates to its logo and restaurant remodels, with longtime customers arguing the company was abandoning the nostalgic look that had defined the brand for decades.

The criticism coincided with weaker sales and backlash that prompted company leaders to restore the chain's signature "Old Timer" logo and interior.

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Among the chain's most outspoken critics was Tennessee resident Rachel Love, who previously told Fox News Digital she was disappointed by the changes. After recently visiting a restored Cracker Barrel that had undergone a remodel, however, she said the experience left her optimistic about the brand's direction.

"Going back to Cracker Barrel felt like coming home," Love told Fox News Digital. "Seeing the building returned to its original look honestly brought tears to my eyes before I even walked inside."

Love said the familiar brown exterior, welcoming Old Country Store and her favorite meatloaf meal made it feel as though the company had rediscovered what longtime customers valued.

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"What has impressed me the most is that this turnaround feels like more than just cosmetic changes," she said. "It feels like Cracker Barrel listened to the people who have supported the brand for generations."

Love added that she is "genuinely hopeful about where the company is headed."

Restaurant industry publication Nation's Restaurant News recently reported that Cracker Barrel's comeback "continues to gain steam," noting that the company believes it could exceed its financial outlook for the year despite restaurant sales remaining slightly below last year's levels.

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Cracker Barrel now expects to meet or exceed the high end of its previously issued revenue guidance and surpass its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) forecast for the fiscal year.

The company declined to comment when contacted by Fox News Digital.