Big Changes for Popular South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota Dining Spot

It's one of the biggest challenges that restaurants face - when to stick with what you've become known for on your menu and when to shake things up a bit.

A popular restaurant chain with locations in South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota finds itself in the middle of that dilemma right now.

According to CBS News, the new CEO of Cracker Barrel told investors during a recent call that the restaurant is 'just not as relevant as we once were'.

With that in mind, Julie Felss Masino, who took over nine months ago, has unveiled a $700 million plan to draw in new diners, starting with a rebrand and with test runs of new menu items, including green chili cornbread, banana pudding, and hash brown casserole shepherd's pie, across multiple locations.

Recent financial reports show that Cracker Barrel's main target demographic — diners age 65 and older — haven't returned since the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Currently Cracker Barrel, which is based in Lebanon, Tennessee, has 660 locations in 45 states, including five restaurants in the Tri-State area:

SOUTH DAKOTA

Sioux Falls

IOWA

Clive
Council Bluffs
Davenport

MINNESOTA

Lakeville

According to Wikipedia, Cracker Barrel was founded in Tennessee in 1969 by Dan Evins, a representative for Shell Oil, who developed the restaurant and gift store concept initially as a plan to improve gasoline sales.

It was designed to resemble the traditional country store that he remembered from his childhood, with a name chosen to give it a Southern country theme.

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Gallery Credit: Karla Brown