Have you ever dug into your country-fried breakfast and wondered what it's like to work
at Cracker Barrel?
From what goes on in the kitchen to how often they get breaks, former and current employees
have spilled the sweet tea on what really goes down in the restaurant.
Cracker Barrel prides itself on its food, but considering they sell mixes and ready-made
food, you might wonder how much of their menu is really made fresh each day in the restaurant.
According to one Reddit user who claims to work for one of the top Cracker Barrel restaurants
in the country, scratch-made food is still the norm.
In a Reddit AMA, the employee revealed that the prep cook and backup cook come in at 5:30
a.m. each day to start making staples like the biscuits, cornbread, gravy, and fruit
bowls.
There are some ingredients, however, that arrive pre-made, but the cooks are still responsible
for the final product.
According to another Redditor, who claims to be a line cook at Cracker Barrel, the roux
for the gravy comes pre-made and, quote, "we just add milk and heat 'til it thickens."
If you've ever been inside one of the 600+ Cracker Barrel restaurants in the U.S., you
might have wondered about the stars the employees sport on their aprons.
Some have just one, while others have several.
It turns out, they aren't just for decoration.
According to one Redditor who claims to be an Employee Training Coordinator at Cracker
Barrel, the stars represent how long an employee has been with the company, as well as their
skills and progress.
They say employees are "Rising Stars" for the first 30 days of employment, and in order
to earn their first star, new employees must take tests about their position and have their
performance evaluated by managers.
If they pass, they get their first star.
The max number of stars is four, and quote, "each star comes with new responsibilities,
opportunities, and benefits."
It's no secret that many people go to Cracker Barrel for the retail experience, too.
But just how popular is it?
Very, according to a Redditor who claims to be a Cracker Barrel host.
Some people don't even bother eating, but don't call it a gift shop.
The user asserts,
"It isn't a gift shop.
It's the retail section of our store, and it actually sells pretty well.
One lady bought 14 candles one day."
If you think working at a restaurant where people also come to shop is strange, consider
that some people come solely for the rocking chairs and a friendly game of checkers or
the peg game.
The host revealed, quote, "the rocking chairs are arguably more popular than the food."
You'd think that breaks would be essential but unfortunately, to hear some former employees
tell it, that just isn't the case.
Reviews on Glassdoor suggest breaks of any kind are hard to come by.
One former Cracker Barrel host revealed the cons of the job include, quote, "No breaks,
no free food, no bathroom breaks if [working] alone…"
This apparently is the case for virtually any position at Cracker Barrel as Glassdoor
reviews from employees ranging from front-of-house servers and hosts to back-of-house grill cooks
and dishwashers noted that breaks are pretty much nonexistent.
"I don't understand… is anyone hurt?”
“Not on the surface, no.
But I can tell people are disturbed"
Reviews citing "no breaks" as a problem at Cracker Barrel go back to 2013 on Glassdoor,
so one would hope the company would have resolved it by now, but the most recent reviews citing
the same problem are from 2019.
Former employees are still talking about Cracker Barrel's apparent reluctance to give out breaks,
and that's a shame, because those rocking chairs and a coffee would look mighty tempting
after hours on your feet.
Like many retail establishments, Cracker Barrel deals with its share of theft.
So what's a Cracker Barrel employee to do if they suspect someone is stealing from the
retail store or they're going to dine and dash?
It turns out, not much of anything.
According to one Redditor, Cracker Barrel employees
"aren't allowed to do anything if [they] suspect someone is bouncing the check or stealing
from retail.[...]
We can call the police, but we can't approach the suspected thief and say, 'Sir, are you
stealing?'
That creates tension in the store and doesn't appear hospitable."
While this may seem like extreme hospitality, University of Florida professor Richard Hollinger,
who specializes in loss prevention, explains what's going on like this:
"Cameras, electronic article surveillance, and security are the antithesis of the Cracker
Barrel atmosphere.
They treat their customers like neighbors.
Neighbors watch out for each other and trust each other."
At Cracker Barrel, discounted food is one of the appeals of the job, but you can only
get it at certain times.
One alleged Cracker Barrel server shared on Reddit,
"We get a meal 50 percent off 30 min[utes] before or after our shift."
According to the official employer summary on Glassdoor, Cracker Barrel also offers retail
store discounts, quote, "at 50 percent per scheduled shift."
Current and former employees on Glassdoor noted some discounts are available even if
you aren't scheduled for a shift on a particular day, but the amount is determined by your
promotion level and ranges from 0 to 35 percent.
The Redditor did note one caveat that makes those late-night shifts worth it, saying,
"If you close, you can get some leftovers and all you can eat biscuits and cornbread."
Bonus!
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more Mashed videos about your favorite stuff are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.