This Old-School Restaurant Chain Is Overhauling Its Menu To Attract Younger Customers
One of America's most old-fashioned roadside chains has set its sights on drawing in a younger generation of customers and those that are better spenders. That's not to say the Southern-themed restaurant will be forgetting about its loyal clientele—but a new menu will feature items geared toward enticing a broader demographic.
Cracker Barrel recently made major changes to its popular all-day breakfast menu. The new Build Your Own Homestyle Breakfast now features more variety, including a plant-based Impossible Sausage and a Stuffed Cheesecake Pancake, served with strawberry syrup.
The expanded Homestyle Breakfast also allows guests to upgrade to premium meat, like the new Spicy Chicken Sausage, Grilled Chicken Tenders, Fried Sunday Homestyle Chicken, and Steak (Country-Fried, Hamburger, or Sirloin). In addition, it now offers premium sides like Seasonal Fruit, Hashbrown Casserole Tots, Two Buttermilk Pancakes, or Loaded Hashbrown Casserole.
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If trendy pancakes and plant-based options aren't enough to get a younger crowd through the door, the Southern chain is also betting on its alcohol menu, which it began serving during the pandemic to capture a returning brunch crowd.
The chain is adding buzzy drinks to its cocktail lineup, like a Rocket Pop Mimosa, which is a classic Strawberry Mimosa topped with a Rocket Popsicle and a Jack Daniel's Country Cocktails Lynchburg Lemonade.
The non-alcoholic beverages are getting a facelift as well. Cracker Barrel is serving a Watermelon Lemonade for a limited time and will be launching new seasonal hot drinks, like lattes and hot chocolates.
As its final endeavor at becoming your new hip brunch spot, Cracker Barrel has been growing its selection of sharable all-day sides. Biscuit Beignets, which come with butter pecan sauce, can be added on to as side orders or shared as an appetizer all day during breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
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Since 2016, Cracker Barrel has been pushing to attract millennials, an effort that has been largely successful. About a third of Cracker Barrel's guests are now between the ages of 25 and 44, according to senior vice president and chief marketing officer Jennifer Tate. The company plans to continue to grow that market by expanding its digital offerings, mobile payments, and loyalty program.
