Cracker Barrel Owns A Breakfast Place You May Not Have Heard Of

In 1969, Shell Oil sales representative Dan Evins opened the first Cracker Barrel in Lebanon, Tennessee, and by 2019, the casual Southern-style restaurant had expanded to 45 states with over 650 locations. Known for its expansive porch with rows of rocking chairs, country store, and homestyle comfort food, the homey restaurant is a mainstay for hungry travelers.

Since Cracker Barrel's founder was in the oil industry, it may not come as a surprise that Cracker Barrel initially sold gas in addition to food. However, amid the gas crisis in the 1970s, Evins opted to step away from selling gas and focus primarily on food and creating a one-of-a-kind experience for guests. His plan worked, and the company expanded, eventually hitting the stock exchange for public trading in the early 1980s.

As the company continued to grow throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, it moved westward in the United States, formed a charity, and began to sell its licensed products in grocery stores. Then, in 2019, the popular chain expanded differently, purchasing Maple Street Biscuit Company, a fast-casual Jacksonville-based biscuit spot (and its other 31 locations) for $36 million.

Scott Moore and Gus Evans opened the doors to Maple Street Biscuit Company in late 2012 with a mission to serve and help the community. The biscuit-based business serves contemporary versions of comfort food made from scratch and focuses on sustainability.

Not only does mission-driven Maple Street make everything from small-batch biscuits and apple butter to gravy and sausage from scratch, but it's also committed to responsible sourcing and producing quality ingredients. Its maple is sourced from family-owned farms, roasts its coffee beans in-house weekly, and all of its orange juice is freshly squeezed.

It was Maple Street's commitment to quality, as well as devotion to high-quality service, that enticed Cracker Barrel to approach Moore and Evans. "We have long admired Maple Street Biscuit Company with its emphasis on made-from-scratch food and hospitality," Sandra B. Cochran, President and CEO of Cracker Barrel, said in a news release.

Both brands are focused on service to the community, responsible sourcing of ingredients, and the quality of their food. They're both known for biscuits, too, but beyond that, each brand creates its own unique experience for diners.

Cracker Barrel's restaurants and stores were purposefully created in a cozy, country style, from the rocking chairs on the porch to the deer head above the fireplace, horseshoes over top of the exterior front door, and an oxe yoke over the front doors. Meanwhile, Maple Street Biscuit Company sports a more modern coffee shop-style ambiance.

As for the food, when Cracker Barrel's tall yellow sign beckons drivers to take a break from their travels, they can expect to find traditional breakfast dishes served all day and classics like fried chicken and burgers and meatloaf. While Maple Street also serves breakfast throughout its open hours, it also offers twists on traditional dishes. Its four versions of biscuits and gravy feature unique additions like a maple sausage meatball and shiitake mushroom gravy, and its Food Network-featured "Squawking Goat" pairs battered chicken strips with toasted goat cheese and housemade pepper jelly all on scratch-made biscuits. 

Maple Street isn't just about biscuits, either. Its menu also features waffles, a cheesy grits bowl, and frittaffles (stuffed omelets baked in cast iron). And for drinks, you can sip on a maple vanilla latte or upgrade that fresh-squeezed OJ by ordering one of its three signature mason jar mimosas.