If Q4 misses quotes after rebranding, cracker barrel sharing slides 10%
Cracker Barrel said it is focusing on improving the guest experience after it rebounded the brand earlier this summer.
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Cracker barrels have closed more than a dozen locations at Maple Street Biscuit Company, the company confirmed.
Cracker Barrel, which acquired Maple Street Biscuit Company for $36 million in 2019, closed 14 of its breakfast chain locations because “simply failing to meet our financial expectations.”
Cracker Barrel was the first to announce it would close its Maple Street location on September 17th with its latest revenue release.
Founded in Jacksonville, Florida in 2012, the Maple Street Biscuit Company offers a wide variety of biscuits and other breakfast items. Closures will operate over 50 locations.
“We appreciate the continued sponsorship of many guests who have dined on Maple Street at these 14 locations in recent years, and we thank our team members for their passionate dedication to Maple Street,” reads Cracker Barrel’s statement.
A list of locations at the closed Maple Street Biscuit Company was not available immediately.
Closure follows changes to cracker barrel logo, traffic light
The Maple Street closure comes when Cracker Barrel leaders say they are hoping for poor traffic to restaurants for the rest of 2025 due to a controversial logo change.
Traffic fell by about 1% in early August, Chief Financial Officer Craig Penmelis said in a call from investors following his fourth quarter earnings report on September 17.
Since August 19, the date of the official logo change, traffic has dropped by about 8%, he continued. The company is expected to see another 7% to 8% decline if the same trend continues. Total quarterly revenue was $868 million, up 4.4%.
Cracker barrels returned to the “old timer” logo after protest
President and CEO Julie Masino said the company worked quickly to quickly correct the changes to its original logo. In August, the company changed its logo to one without a man.
The change was filled with extensive public protests from cracker barrel fans.
“We would like to thank our guests for sharing their voices and their passion for cracker barrels over the last few weeks,” Messino said in writing. “We listen, go back to the ‘Old Timer’ logo, pause with a modification, and put more emphasis on the kitchen and other areas that improve the guest experience. ”
Cracker Barrel is working on further investments in public relations and marketing, and the company is ready to handle the impact of tariffs, Penmelis said. Two additional stores are also scheduled to open in 2025, but the company did not provide any information on where the location is.
“There’s a lot to be optimistic going forward, and our team is focused on returning to the momentum that created last fiscal year,” Masino said.
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter for USA Today. You can follow him with X @geuna Alternatively, email him at gdhauari@gannett.com.
Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter for USA Today. Contact her at mdelrey@usatoday.com
