Cracker Barrel is rushing to update its image and regain customer trust following a controversy over frozen biscuits and microwave-prepared meatloaf, but inconsistent management decisions have sparked confusion among staff, as reported.
Last month, critics slammed the Tennessee-based chain after former President Trump removed its longtime mascot, Uncle Herschel, leading to chaotic changes. Just after that, they reversed the cost-saving strategy of reheating meatloaf in microwaves.
Earlier in the year, the chain had shifted from its long-standing practice of baking fresh meatloaf daily to using microwaves instead. However, in a recent update, management instructed staff to revert back to microwaving meatloaf on non-weekend days, confusing many employees.
“We were told meatloaf would be fresh every day,” noted a veteran cook, “but then we heard the cold portion would just be from Monday to Thursday.”
During a revenue call on Wednesday, CEO Julie Fels Masino acknowledged the need for improvements, stating, “We have to continue to enhance our food,” emphasizing the need for a stronger focus on kitchen operations.
Customers have also expressed dissatisfaction, claiming that production cuts led to reheated biscuits, now described as “hardly” edible. After admitting this was a poor decision, management had since instructed that biscuits must meet higher standards or be discarded, despite initial worries about waste.
One cook recalled an order to ensure the biscuits rise “about two inches, fluffy, not too brown or too white.”
A veteran employee shared some frustrations about the conflicting directives from management, saying, “They seem unsure of what changes to keep and what to discard.” Meanwhile, the company emphasized its commitment to offering generous portions and warm hospitality but did not specifically address the meatloaf and biscuits issues in their statements.
Confusion persists as Cracker Barrel revealed that customer traffic had already declined by 1% in early August, dropping further by 8% on August 19 following the logo controversy.
Recently, Cracker Barrel Meatloaf garnered attention on social media when a TikTok user posted a video claiming to show the reheating process in the restaurant’s kitchen, stating, “We throw it into the microwave and then we’ll provide it to you,” and mentioned that sometimes it remained cold.
Amid all this, murmurs about Masino’s future have circulated among employees. Before the revenue call, some speculated she had been sidelined due to her absence from regular internal updates.
Cracker Barrel has dismissed these rumors, asserting that leadership continues to communicate with team members through various channels, including meetings, videos, and emails.
