Beloved National Restaurant Chain Abruptly Closing Locations Amid Struggles

People just aren't going out to eat as much as they used to, and restaurant chains are feeling the effects, with Pizza Hut, Boston Market, TGI Fridays and Popeyes all closing locations to help with their financial struggles. Now, beloved Southern country themed eatery and gift shop Cracker Barrel has as well. The chain suddenly shuttered two California locations, leaving just five remaining in the state, and they also closed restaurants in Oregon and South Carolina.

The company explained the closures to Eat This, Not That, saying, "As a standard course of business, we continually evaluate the performance of our stores, using various criteria to ensure we are meeting the needs of our guests and our business... The decision to close a store is never one we take lightly, and our focus right now is on assisting our impacted employees during this transition. We extend our sincere thanks to our employees who worked so hard to keep our fireplace glowing and to the guests who have dined with us, celebrated with us, and made us part of their community. We look forward to reconnecting with them at other times at nearby Cracker Barrels in the future."

Cracker Barrel has reported fewer customers eating at their restaurants recently, attributing the decline to insufficient marketing, budget-conscious consumers not eating out as much and a less-than-ideal guest experience. However, in a recent earnings call, they plan to test changes to the interior design of their restaurants and debut an early dinner menu with smaller, less expensive versions of some entrees. They also plan on opening a few new locations as well. For now, there are 662 Cracker Barrel restaurants still in business and you can find the one closest to you at their website.