Y’all will have to pardon me just a little if my “southern” is showing. I love Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Restaurants. I think that’s their official name. Most of us just call them Cracker Barrel and we are quite comfortable with the name. The moniker conjures up an image of a much simpler time. A time when old men sat around the general store playing checkers on top of a cracker barrel.  

The Coca-Cola Co via YouTube
The Coca-Cola Co via YouTube
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To be honest, I have never seen anything like that. I guess the closest I’ve come to the wonderful colloquial setting that personifies the south would be I once saw a couple of guys drinking malt liquor on the tailgate of a truck while they yelled at some guy who was walking into a Quickie Mart. But you know, "reality" isn’t what Cracker Barrel is selling. They are selling comfort. Comfortable images that accompany comfort foods in comfortable surroundings.  

You’ve probably noticed the surroundings if you’ve visited any Cracker Barrel location anywhere. The tables are interspersed in a large “great room” that is close to a big fireplace. The tables have those golf tee games on them and the walls are covered in items you’d have to break into your grandma’s attic to see other than here at the Cracker Barrel.  

Sure, the porch has rocking chairs and there is a washtub filled with ice and soda pops too. All in all, it’s like a visit to the “old south” if Hollywood movie moguls were directing the scene. Still, I remind you that all of this nostalgia is part of the Cracker Barrel ambience. It’s meant to slow you down so you can really slow down after slamming a plate of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy, and fried okra. Okay, the hash brown casserole would work in a pinch too.

Katelyn's Kitchen via YouTube
Katelyn's Kitchen via YouTube
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 But let’s get back to what’s on the walls around you. Have you ever thought “where did they get this stuff”? Cracker Barrel has a team of dedicated “pickers” who scour America looking for certain items. When they find something that fits, they bring it in, clean it up, and make it ready for the next Cracker Barrel dining room. 

While each restaurant has hundreds of items on display there are just five items that are mandatory decorations for every Cracker Barrel store. Think just a minute and see if you can recall what they might be. I promise you that once we reveal them to you, you will see them every time you visit a Cracker Barrel.  

The Five Mandatory Decorations You'll Find in Every Cracker Barrel Restaurant

 

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