After same-store sales fell by 85% at the end of March, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is addressing the new realities of the full-service market by shrinking its menu, adding family-sized to-go packs, launching curbside pickup and partnering with another delivery service.
In an update for investors, the family-focused chain said it opened five namesake restaurants on Monday in Georgia and five units of a secondary brand, Maple Street Biscuit Co., in Georgia and Tennessee. Cracker Barrel is based in Tennessee. All other restaurants in both chains are offering delivery and takeout, according to the company.
The company said sales at Maple Street have not fallen as steeply as they did at its core brand, but did not reveal recent sales figures for either chain in a securities filing.
Early in the COVID-19 crisis, the company opted not to maintain a stake in a third concept, food and games concept Punch Bowl Social.
The new Family Meal Basket line extends to four options: All Day Pancake Breakfast, Sunday Homestyle Chicken, Chicken n’ Dumplins and Scratch-Made Meatloaf. The selections are priced from $29.99 to $51.99.
For a limited time, customers who order one of the meal packs will get a free Four-Layer Breakfast Bowl, one of Cracker Barrel’s to-go breakfast options.
The meals are available through the chain’s newest delivery partner, DoorDash.
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