Cracker Barrel — It’s Time to Slow Down

Rocking Chairs. Old Gas Station Signs. In-Car Bingo Games. Buying Candy from the General Store. What do you think of when you hear these themes?
I did not grow up ‘country’, but I’ve quickly grown an appreciation for the ‘laid back’, ‘personal’, and ‘grateful’ lifestyle that life in the small town/rural areas embodies.

A recent trip had my wife and me stopping at a Cracker Barrel in Beaumont, Texas. As we waited for our take-out meal, we relaxed in the rustic rocking chairs that dot every Cracker Barrel porch. Time seemed to stop. A few people strolled by and ventured inside to the restaurant. My wife and I commented that stress seemed to melt away as we watched the world go by from our rocking chairs.

Before we fell asleep in those chairs, we decided to take a stroll inside the restaurant’s general store. If you’ve been to a Cracker Barrel, you’ve probably taken a glance at some of the numerous items/knick-knacks that dot every general store. What a great way to spend time while your food is prepared! (And what a great way for Cracker Barrel to generate some income for the biz. while we passively wait for our meal!! — very enterprising!!)

As I strolled up and down the aisles, I found some real winners that took me back to the early 80s. Where does Cracker Barrel find this stuff? I remember playing ‘in-car’ bingo when I was a little boy. My face pressed to the glass on one side of the car. My brother’s faced plastered to the pane on the other while we both looked for ‘billboard’, ‘railroad’, ‘truck’, or any other object that would get us closer to saying ‘Bingo’.

I certainly expect Cracker Barrel to continue to be a successful establishment for families and individuals everywhere. They are a welcomed retreat from the hustle and bustle of daily life.
Visit your nearby Cracker Barrel and melt into one of those rocking chairs and just watch the world go by.

Until next time….
Dan