In a stringent new cost-cutting measure, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is directing its employees to eat at its own restaurants while on business trips. According to an internal message obtained by The Wall Street Journal, the company’s updated travel policy states that “employees are expected to dine at a Cracker Barrel store for all or the majority of meals while traveling, whenever practical, based on location and schedule.”
The policy also tightens rules on alcohol, prohibiting reimbursement for alcohol purchases unless an employee pays personally or receives pre-approval from senior leadership for a special occasion.
This move comes as the nostalgic chain aggressively trims expenses amid declining customer traffic and slowed revenue growth. Cracker Barrel is still recovering from a disastrous 2025 rebrand effort that sparked intense backlash, causing an estimated $94 million loss in market value in a single day after the company unveiled a minimalist new logo that removed its longtime mascot, “Uncle Herschel.”
Conservative commentators and MAGA influencers labeled the redesign “woke,” prompting even former President Donald Trump to publicly urge the chain to revert to its classic look. The company quickly scrapped the rebrand, acknowledging in a statement, “We could’ve done a better job sharing who we are and who we’ll always be.”
More recently, customer dissatisfaction has shifted to the menu. Patrons have complained online about changes like batch-made cookies instead of fresh dough and sides prepared in ovens rather than on the stovetop, with some going as far as bringing their own maple syrup.
The new employee meal policy appears to be another effort to control costs and drive internal revenue, effectively ensuring that travel expenses flow back into the company’s own registers. While the rule includes the caveat “whenever practical,” it signals a stark, inward-looking strategy as Cracker Barrel seeks stability after a turbulent period that alienated portions of its core customer base and damaged its homespun brand identity.
