Do Cracker Barrel employees have to eat at Cracker Barrel restaurants while traveling? Not exactly.
After a Jan. 30 report in The Wall Street Journal said Cracker Barrel is pushing its staff to only eat at its locations when traveling, the chain said the policy is not a requirement.
"The policy for employees to dine at Cracker Barrel while traveling for business, whenever practical based on location and schedule, is not new. Also, it is not the only place that our employees may eat when on the road, as previously reported," Cracker Barrel said in a statement to USA TODAY.
The company added that it recently changed employee travel guidelines to "further limit reimbursement of alcoholic beverages under the policy."
This development comes after several tumultuous months marked by declining sales for the company. In August 2025, Cracker Barrel faced backlash from many customers after announcing a rebrand that included a change to its so-called Old Timer logo. Days later, the company reversed course and said it wouldn't change the logo after all.
