Cracker Barrel Will Sell Beer and Wine for Nearly the First Time as Restaurants Begin Opening

Cracker Barrel, like many restaurants across the U.S., is starting to open restaurants for in-house dining as coronavirus restrictions lift. The CEO of Cracker Barrel, Sandra B. Cochran, expects sales to be "choppy" for a bit but hopes that some new rollouts will help the company in the long run.

Before the lockdown, Cracker Barrel was starting to introduce beer, wine, and mimosas in select stores, and they plan to continue testing the new alcoholic additions as restaurants begin to open. The chain is also adapting its menu to be a bit smaller than the existing one. Though the menu is downsizing, new dishes are being added including chicken pot pie and Saturday fried pork chops.

The new rollouts are currently only in 20 of Cracker Barrel's 664 stores, and as of June 2, 505 of those stores have reopened according to Nation's Restaurant News. Through the rollouts and reopenings, Cochran is still unsure of what this recovery period will look like.

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"The past several months have presented unprecedented challenges for Cracker Barrel, the industry and our country,” Cochran said in a statement to Nation's Restaurant News. “I believe our strategic priorities, such as accelerating our off-premise business, combined with the rapid actions we took to bolster liquidity, strengthen our business model and adapt our operations to the circumstances have positioned us well for the recovery period to come.”

If you're not quite ready to physically eat at Cracker Barrel just yet, you're in luck. The chain plans on continuing its delivery and curb-side pick up services, so you can continue to enjoy the southern comfort food at home.