Cracker Barrel, DoorDash announce delivery partnership
Comfort food chain known for Southern-style food and gift shop concept is banking on delivery
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Cracker Barrel fans can now get their biscuits and gravy delivered.
The Southern-style chain announced Wednesday a partnership with third-party delivery service DoorDash to bring eaters its comfort food delivered to the comfort of their own homes in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic when more eaters are ordering in.
It's the restaurant’s first partnership with a major delivery service.
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The companies are offering customers half-off Cracker Barrel’s signature Family Meal Baskets (from $29.99 to $51.99) and free delivery for the first 1,000 guests who order through the DoorDash app beginning Thursday.
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With stay-at-home orders in place, delivery is imperative to restaurant survival nationwide, however its unclear if the partnership will be successful long term considering Cracker Barrel is known to its fans as a dining destination.
The Tennessee-based chain, known for its fried chicken, meatloaf and mashed potatoes has established itself as an experience for diners visiting the combined restaurant and gift shop concept, where part of its allure the homey restaurant feel with tabletop peg games and a post-meal trip to its general store. The model catapulted the business into a $3 billion company with more than 645 stores across the country.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CBRL | CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE INC. | 59.32 | -1.37 | -2.26% |
And take-out only has proven unsuccessful for the chain in the past. Cracker Barrel tested out a carry-out only stores in 1994, however, it found itself competing with the likes of 7-11 convenience stores and shuttered them after just three years.
Cracker Barrell was more successful regionalizing its menu as it expanded beyond its southern roots with concepts like Holler & Dash, which debuted in 2016, as a fast-casual biscuit sandwich restaurant targeting millennials.
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And even when restaurants are able to start reopening, they will likely operate on reduced seating capacity, with some reports suggesting by as much as 50 percent, with social distancing mandates, cutting into a big chunk of Cracker Barrel's revenue.
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