Cracker Barrel
Created | Updated Oct 3, 2002
Cracker Barrel is a resturant/store in 41 of 50 of the United States and is known for their 'down home' Southern American atmosphere. The chain of resturants was started in Lebanon, Tennessee * as a place for gas to be sold to customers after having a nice meal (which was changed after the Oil Embargo of the 1970's).
Decor:
The 'gift shop' of the Cracker Barrel has wooden floors, dim lighting, along with a solid wood checkout counter to add to the 'down home' feel. Also, there are actual antique items up to the 1950's that are suspended from the cealing with rope, wires, chains, etc that range from lanterns, bicycles, lard tins, toys to chairs and other random items that have no place hanging from a cealing.
The resturant area has cobblestone floors, solid wood seating and solid wood tables (made from maple), wooden walls, along with the same dim lighting from lantern looking lights in the dining area to where you can't see your plate after 8pm in the summer. All of the dishwear in the resturant is plain Buffalo China * in ivory.
Layout:
The first area of the Cracker Barrel is the gift shop of sorts when you walk in thru the front door which is filled with houseware items *, candy and toys*, and bulk items that are on the menu in the resturant *. The trick about this is that anyone who sets foot in the store for breakfast or dinner must walk thru the gift shop both before their meal or afterward, making it twice as tempting to buy something since you have to see it twice.
The second area after the gift shop is the resturant area. Here you can sit down and purchace any number of foods from fried or grilled chicken, roast beef, fried or grilled fish, salads, chicken fried chicken, chicken fried steak and other assorted items, served with a choice of side dishes (corn, green beans, carrots, fried okra, turnip greens, pinto beans, mashed potatoes, fried apples, apple sauce, hashbrown cassirole, french fries, or the veggie of the day) dinner or eggs, french toast, pancakes, an assorted number of fried meats *, biscuts and gravy, or (God's worst mistake in food) grits *for breakfast along with an assortment of deserts such as cobbler *, sundaes (blackberry, blueberry, strawberry, or molasses *) and (the current target item for the dining room) strawberry shortcake.
Employees and managers:
As always, you have to deal with the staff of the resturant. I'm not really sure how it is in other Cracker Barrels, but you have your usial assortment of servers * (who are more than happy to keep your drinks filled, bring your food to you, and smile in hopes of getting a good tip *), clerks, and managers. As a general rule, they are kind and curtious, and if you choose not to leave a tip after they have tried to wait on you to the best of their ability, less than plesant words will be exchanged with the other waitresses and waiters in the back.
There are also the managers, who walk around and check on your food, how your service was, and weather or not you've had an enjoyable experience at their resturant. The same questions will be asked by the clerk when you leave to insure you've had a nice evening at their establishment. Also, these managers are more than willing to relay the information that the customer has to say about to the servers, more often bad information rather than praise.
Other notes:
A) The stars on the front of the apron of your server or clerk signifes how long they have been working at Cracker Barrel. A server with a nametag on means that they have been there less than a month and are a Par Zero. One star means that they've been there between one to four months, or a Par Two. Three stars means that they've been there for at least four months to a year, or a Par Three. I'm not sure how long you have to be there to be a Par Four, but it means that you've either worked there as a college student trying to make it the entire time you're there, or you've made it your living until you can find a more suitable job.
At each par level, one must take what is called a Par Test to see if you know what you're supposed to be doing at the level you're at. If you pass this examination, you get a raise and have more jobs assigned to you.
B) The management actually gives a damn about you. With most resturant jobs (fast food or sit down resturant) that is a chain store, the management sees you as replaceable and expendable where they know if you are fired or quit, there will be someone to replace you. However, at Cracker Barrel you are treated as a human being and actually treated with respect *.
C) If you like sugar, order Sweet Tea *. Otherwise, don't order it.
Additional information:
Southern United States Food
Grits
Cracker Barrel
