Cracker Barrel lures diners with patriotic shirts, Americana

Whimsical salt-and-pepper shakers and Americana merchandise are helping Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. recover from the political attacks that beset it last year.

The chain has started to stem the traffic declines it suffered after it changed its logo and redesigned its restaurants, moving away from a nostalgic old-timey aesthetic to a more modern one. The backlash was swift, with critics accusing Cracker Barrel of erasing elements of traditional Southern culture and forcing it to reverse course.

Since then, the company has focused on improving its food and service, as well as having more appealing product displays at its retail stores.

Enter an “American Heritage” line that includes a shirt decked out in eagles and fireworks and salt-and-pepper shakers shaped like mini drills, baseballs hats and a former U.S. president. Cracker Barrel, which has a location in Coeur d’Alene, highlighted the new merch on its Instagram account.

“They are such a hit,” Chief Executive Officer Julie Felss Masino said Tuesday on a call with analysts. Meanwhile, a collection tied to the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence is “selling out so fast for us.”

Store traffic is still falling, but declines have gotten less steep. Cracker Barrel’s shares rose as much as 5.5% in premarket trading on Wednesday in New York after the chain raised its full-year revenue guidance.