Cracker Barrel is an American chain of restaurant and gift stores that delve into an Southern country theme, with its menu comprising of Southern cuisine related items.
| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 19 September 1969 |
| Legal Structure | Public |
| Industry | Food |
| Also known as | CBOCS Properties, Inc. |
| Official website | https://www.crackerbarrel.com/ |
Consumer impact summary
- User Freedom: Can request to opt-out of collection by clicking on the "unsubscribe link", phone number or email.
- User privacy: The company collects and shares personal information including an users personal, sensitive, transactional, technical, location, and social media Information
- Business Model: Serves seafood, chicken related items, deserts, and breakfast related products.
Incidents
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the Cracker Barrel category.
Segregating and denying service to black customers (2001―2004)
On 13 December 2001, 21 individuals filed a lawsuit against Cracker Barrel over allegedly segregating black customers in smoking sections and denying them services.[1] At the time, executive Donald M. Turner said the allegations are false and will fight it way through court.[1] On 10 April 2002, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People joined in the suit that increased of plaintiffs involved to 42 plaintiffs.[2][3] On 9 September 2004, Cracker Barrel reached an $8.7 million settlement.[4][5]
Non-accessible entrance ramps (2014)
On 27 October 2014,[6][7] plaintiff Sarah Heinzl filed a lawsuit against Cracker Barrel for violating Title III of the Americans With Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 12181 to 12189, alleging the company failed to accommodate individuals with wheelchairs across 107 of its stores.[8][9] On 19 May 2017, the case reached an settlement requiring Cracker Barrel create an disability-access policy for parking facilities within 30 months, Staff take an survey that determines whether their parking lots are compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act, and pay $830,000 in attorneys fees that in addition rewarded the plaintiff $7,500.[10][11]
Serving outdated food to customers (2025)
On 8 September, numerous reports surfaced online of various food items such as meatloaf, bacon, green beans, and pinto beans tasting differently, with their biscuits described as being served "hard, rubbery and like a rock”.[12][13] Numerous employees across all operating locations claim they were ordered to precook and freeze items a day in advance before cooking them in boxes in order to save costs.[13][14][15]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Cracker Barrel chain faces $100-million racial bias suit". Tampa Day Times. 14 December 2001. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "NAACP Joins Suit Vs. Restaurant Chain". CBS News. 10 April 2002. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "NAACP Joins Cracker Barrel Suit". Fox News. 11 April 2002. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Cracker Barrel Settles Racial Discrimination Lawsuits for $8.7M". Fox News. 9 September 2004. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Cracker Barrel Restaurant Publicly Admits to Racism". African American Registry. 9 September 2004. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "HEINZL v. CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE, INC. (2:14-cv-01455)". Court Listener. 1 May 2026. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "HEINZL v. CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE, INC., No. 2:2014cv01455 - Document 35 (W.D. Pa. 2015)". JUSTIA U.S Law. 24 April 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA" (PDF). govinfo.gov. 18 May 2026. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Kammerlohr, Emily (13 August 2023). "Cracker Barrel Has Been Rocked With Scandals. Here Are The Worst". The Daily Meal. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Spicer, Christina (19 May 2017). "Cracker Barrel Serves Up ADA Class Action Settlement". Top Class Action. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Cracker Barrel ADA Class Action Settlement Gets Preliminary Approval". Food And Beverages Litigation and Regulatory Update. 19 May 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Keller, Erin (9 September 2025). "Cracker Barrel once again in the crosshairs, this time for un-fresh food". Independent. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 13.0 13.1 Fickenscher, Lisa (8 September 2025). "Before logo fiasco, Cracker Barrel had quietly started serving day-old biscuits, microwaved meatloaf: employees". New York Post. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Cost-cutting efforts at Cracker Barrel led the chain to offer day-old biscuits and meatloaf". Total News. 8 September 2025. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Saletta, Emma (11 September 2025). "Cracker Barrel 'served patrons day-old biscuits and microwaved meatloaf' amid ill-fated rebrand". Newsbreak. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)