13 Fun Facts You Didn’t Know About Cracker Barrel

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is truly an all-American restaurant chain and a fixture along America’s highways. It has more than 600 locations in 42 states, so it’s just about impossible to drive for an extended period of time and not encounter one. But we bet that there are a lot of things you didn’t know about this down-home destination.

1. The first Cracker Barrel was opened 46 years ago.

The first Cracker Barrel location was opened on Highway 109 in Lebanon, Tennessee in 1969 by a man named Dan Evins. Back then, even the cornbread was made from scratch, a practice that is still going strong today. (Unrelated fun fact: Lebanon is also where we launched the first-ever Country Living Fair in Tennessee in 2015!)

2. It Was Founded by a Shell Oil Sales Rep to Improve Gasoline Sales

3. Early Locations Were All Located Near Interstate Highway Exits

4. It Tested a Carry-Out-Only Concept in 1994

5. Since Day One, Every Table Has Had a Peg Solitaire Game on It

6. It’s Partnered with Some of Country Music’s Biggest Stars

7. It’s Faced Several Race and Sexual Orientation-Related Controversies