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Cracker Barrel pushes fast forward on new virtual brands, Chicken ‘n Biscuits and Pancake KitchenCracker Barrel pushes fast forward on new virtual brands, Chicken ‘n Biscuits and Pancake Kitchen

Family-dining restaurant chain finally pulls out of COVID-19-related slump with 1.4% same-store sales increase compared with 2019

Joanna Fantozzi, Senior Editor

November 23, 2021

3 Min Read
Cracker Barrel earnings
Cracker Barrel is doing better at this point in the post-pandemic climate.Cracker Barrel

Joanna Fantozzi

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. has gone all in on digital investment, after expanding the company’s first virtual brand, Chicken ‘n Biscuits, to 500 locations, and its second virtual brand, Pancake Kitchen, to 100 locations last quarter, CEO Sandra Cochran said during Tuesday’s Q1 earnings call.

The Tennessee-based company is also climbing out of a sizable COVID-19-shaped hole, during which traffic and sales were down over the last several quarters. The family-dining chain’s sales were back in the black this quarter, with a 1.4% same-store sales increase from 2019 levels, for the first quarter ended Oct. 29, 2021.

“The appeal [of virtual brands] is to draw in guests who would not otherwise be coming into a Cracker Ba...

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About the Author

Joanna Fantozzi

Senior Editor

Joanna Fantozzi is a Senior Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. She has more than seven years of experience writing about the restaurant and hospitality industry. Her editorial coverage ranges from profiles of independent restaurants around the country to breaking news and insights into some of the biggest brands in food and beverage, including Starbucks, Domino’s, and Papa John’s.  

Joanna holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and creative writing from The College of New Jersey and a master’s degree in arts and culture journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Prior to joining Informa’s Restaurants and Food Group in 2018, she was a freelance food, culture, and lifestyle writer, and has previously held editorial positions at Insider (formerly known as Business Insider) and The Daily Meal. Joanna’s work can also be found in The New York Times, Forbes, Vice, The New York Daily News, and Parents Magazine. 

Her areas of expertise include restaurant industry news, restaurant operator solutions and innovations, and political/cultural issues.

Joanna Fantozzi has been a moderator and event facilitator at both Informa’s MUFSO and Restaurants Rise industry events. 

Joanna Fantozzi’s experience:

Senior Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (August 2021-present)

Associate Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (July 2019-August 2021)

Assistant Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (Oct. 2018-July 2019)

Freelance Food & Lifestyle Reporter (Feb. 2018-Oct. 2018)

Food & Lifestyle Reporter, Insider (June 2017-Feb. 2018)

News Editor, The Daily Meal (Jan. 2014- June 2017)

Staff Reporter, Straus News (Jan. 2013-Dec. 2013)

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