If you've ever taken a road trip in the U.S., you've probably run into a sign or two.
But, have you ever wondered why the roadside restaurant has such a unique, country-style name? What's a Cracker Barrel and what does it have to do with a restaurant or retail store? Well, Cracker Barrel's name comes from a pretty simple old-timey custom, and it makes sense considering its retail store is also a large part of the brand's identity. Old general stores used to ship soda crackers in barrels to prevent the crackers from breaking during transit. But the journey of the barrels didn't end there.
The cracker barrels themselves held more significance in general stores than just as transport containers, and this is where the restaurant chain of today drew its name. Here's the lowdown on Cracker Barrel's whole vibe and where it came from. What's a cracker barrel? Historically, country stores would receive their shipments of soda crackers in large wooden barrels (for those who don't know exactly what a soda cracker is, they're better known nowadays as saltines and served with soup).
Since crackers are so thin and fragile, at the time, the best way to get them to the store (not in pieces) was by using barrels. After the barrels were empty though, they did not go to waste. They were used as tables to hold up things like checkerboards and for people to gather round and chat.
While the barrel origin story holds, it's really the community ethos of general stores and the cracker barrels that wo.