Cracker Barrel has reversed course on its attempt to modernize its image. However, while the Old Timer has returned to the sign, customers have noticed that the restaurant has yet to restore one of its most important features: the old menu.
Now, they are calling on the restaurant chain to bring back several discontinued items as the company attempts to reconnect with its longtime audience.
The list includes black-eyed peas, fried haddock, red-eye gravy, fried chicken livers, and the baked apple dumpling. However, few departed dishes appear to be missed as much as the Sunrise Sampler.
Food at Cracker Barrel – YouTube, TODAY
The breakfast platter included eggs, grits, fried apples, hash brown casserole, sausage, bacon, country ham, and biscuits with gravy. It allowed customers to sample several Cracker Barrel favorites without purchasing them separately.
“I noticed a while back that Cracker Barrel removed the GOAT of all breakfasts, the Sunrise Sampler, from the menu,” Josh Cooper, owner of Cooper’s Next Level BBQ in Tallahassee, Florida, told Fox News. “You used to get a little bit of everything without breaking the bank.”
According to Cooper, recreating the meal by ordering each item individually now costs approximately $25.
“Now, in order to get that same teaser touch from the Sunrise Sampler, you have to order it all à la carte, which costs around $25 for the same great meal,” he said. “Blasphemy!”
Cracker Barrel Reverses Its Failed Modernization Campaign
The requests come at a critical moment for Cracker Barrel. Outgoing CEO Julie Felss Masino recently announced her departure following a disastrous attempt to modernize the restaurant chain. The changes alienated regular customers while failing to attract the new diners the company had hoped to reach.
Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino – YouTube, TODAY
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The estimated $700 million campaign included a redesigned logo that removed the familiar Uncle Herschel character, along with brighter, more minimalist restaurant interiors. Customers accused the company of abandoning the rustic identity that had distinguished Cracker Barrel for decades.
Cracker Barrel ultimately restored its classic logo and suspended the remodeling initiative after updating only four locations. Restaurant traffic reportedly fell approximately 8% during the controversy, while the company’s stock initially dropped nearly 16%.
Masino is scheduled to leave the CEO position on August 10. Former Bloomin’ Brands CEO David Deno will replace her.
Customers Want Cracker Barrel’s Classic Menu Back
Restoring popular menu items could provide another opportunity for Cracker Barrel to demonstrate that it has learned from the backlash.
Rachel Love, a Tennessee resident whose criticism of the restaurant redesigns attracted attention online, told Fox News that she particularly wants the chain to restore its black-eyed peas.
“I absolutely loved the black-eyed peas, and I’m so glad they’re getting some attention,” Love said. “They were one of my favorite sides and always felt like such a classic part of the Cracker Barrel experience.”
The iconic rocking chairs outside Cracker Barrel – YouTube, TODAY
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Love also called the discontinued baked apple dumpling “the perfect comfort dessert” for a restaurant built around Southern food and nostalgia.
“People aren’t just asking for old menu items — they’re asking for the comfort and nostalgia that came with them,” she explained.
Cracker Barrel has spent much of the past year discovering how deeply customers value familiarity. Bringing back a few beloved dishes could help the chain prove that it is finally ready to listen.
Is your favorite dish still missing from the menu at Cracker Barrel? Sound off and let us know!
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