Since 1969, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® has opened its doors for guests to gather around its table and share a meal on Thanksgiving with loved ones. With many reimagining how to celebrate holiday traditions this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, Cracker Barrel is reinforcing its commitment to high safety standards and offering convenient options for guests to enjoy a homestyle holiday meal in-store or at home – on what is Cracker Barrel’s busiest day of the year.
“Thanksgiving has always been a time for us to welcome guests home for the holidays by offering a place with warm hospitality and homestyle cooking,” Cracker Barrel Senior Vice President of Restaurant and Retail Operations Michael Hackney said. “And while we know this special holiday will look different for many this year, we are more committed than ever before to our mission of ‘Pleasing People’ and delivering a safe experience so families can share in the tradition of connecting over a holiday meal with their loved ones – whether virtually, at home or around our table.”
Thanksgiving Meal Offerings for Gatherings of All Sizes
This year, guests can choose from the following Thanksgiving meal offerings:
- In store:
- Individual Homestyle Turkey n’ Dressing or Country Fried Turkey plates, which can be enjoyed by guests from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.
- Grandma’s Holiday Sampler, a new breakfast tradition featuring hand-breaded country fried turkey alongside buttermilk pancakes, served all day on Thanksgiving Day.
- At home:
- Thanksgiving Heat n’ Serve Feast, a complete Thanksgiving meal that serves 8-10 people and can be prepared in two hours.
- Thanksgiving Heat n’ Serve Family Dinner, a complete Thanksgiving meal that serves 4-6 people and can be prepared in two hours.
- A variety of whole, fresh-baked pies will be available to create a sweet ending to any holiday meal.
Cracker Barrel is encouraging guests who plan on enjoying a Cracker Barrel To-Go meal to order in advance and schedule an early pick up. Guests who pre-order and pick up a Heat n’ Serve meal on the Monday or Tuesday before Thanksgiving will receive a bonus card – a $5 gift card with an order of a Thanksgiving Heat n’ Serve Family Dinner or a $10 gift card with an order of a Thanksgiving Heat n’ Serve Feast. Guests can learn more about holiday meal offerings from Cracker Barrel via the company’s new Holiday Lookbook and place orders by visiting crackerbarrel.com.
In-Store Safety Measures Remain Paramount
Guests have come to know and expect the safety processes and protocols in place at all 660+ Cracker Barrel locations nationwide, in coordination with state and local community regulations, to ensure the health and well-being of guests and employees remains a top priority amid the coronavirus pandemic. In anticipation of the busy Thanksgiving holiday, each store will have the following operational measures in place to ensure social distancing and sanitation are held to the highest standard:
- Online waitlist – Guests can visit Cracker Barrel’s online waitlist to request a table from the comfort of their own home or vehicle to reduce their onsite wait time. Upon arrival, guests will be greeted by a host on the front porch to let them know when they will be seated. Employees will be staged throughout the store or porch to ensure social distancing. In the event of a long wait time or large crowds, guests will be asked to stay in their car until they are notified via text message that their table is ready.
- Face masks – All employees have been provided masks and will be required to wear them during their shift. Cracker Barrel is also asking guests to wear face masks when not at their table.
- Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting efforts – Cracker Barrel will be practicing enhanced cleaning and disinfecting efforts at every store throughout the day.
- During Thanksgiving week, guests can either view the menu via QR code from their mobile phone or the hostess will seat guests with single-use, disposable menus on Thanksgiving Day.
- High-touch items such as salt, pepper and condiments have been removed from tables, and are available upon request.
- Additionally, the iconic peg games have been removed from tables, but guests are invited to download a mobile version via Cracker Barrel’s games app to enjoy from a personal device.
- Mobile dine-in pay – To help prevent crowd build-up at register lines, guests will be able to pay their ticket from the table on any iOS or Android device through Cracker Barrel’s new app.
- Curbside service for to-go orders – All locations will offer curbside service – employees bringing to-go meals to guests in their vehicles – to help minimize crowds inside stores. Pick up locations will be clearly marked.
To learn more about how Cracker Barrel is keeping employees and guests safe, please visit crackerbarrel.com/response.
