Cracker Barrel is in the headlines again, but the company says the story is not quite right.
Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that the beleaguered family-dining chain wants its employees to buy their meals at Cracker Barrel while traveling for business, citing an internal memo from management. It was part of a larger story about how corporations are trying to rein in travel expenses to save money.
The Cracker Barrel detail was quickly picked up by other outlets, which focused on what appeared to be a crackdown on employees’ T&E spending following the chain's logo controversy last year.
On Tuesday, Cracker Barrel clarified that the policy is not new, and that it does not mean traveling employees must eat only at Cracker Barrel, though they should do so “whenever practical based on location and schedule.” That language was included in the memo cited by the Journal.
Cracker Barrel said the policy was introduced in June 2024 and that the recent memo was sent out as a reminder.
However, the chain confirmed that it is expanding the policy by asking that employees pay for their own alcoholic drinks while traveling for business. It also asked employees to postpone travel until later this year if possible, the Journal reported.
Cracker Barrel is still recovering from widespread backlash over its new logo and remodeling plans, which sent the company into a tailspin in the last few months of 2025 after many customers stopped visiting the chain.
Since then, it has been working to revive sales and traffic in its restaurants while also cutting expenses at the corporate level. In December, it announced layoffs at its headquarters that are expected to save it $20 million to $25 million a year.
The logo controversy led to intense scrutiny of the company, and the latest news threatened to put the brand in an unwelcome spotlight once again.
Investors, however, did not seem to mind: Cracker Barrel’s stock was up about 19% since Friday, the day the Wall Street Journal story was published.
The Lebanon, Tennessee-based company has about 660 locations in 43 states.
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