Homestyle southern cooking making its way into the Golden State. Cracker Barrel recently opened its doors in California for the first time. Janella Escobar, Director of Corporate Communication at Cracker Barrel, was with us to explain why now was the right time for the expansion. Cracker Barrel opened up on February 5th to families in Victorville, California. Escobar said there is a lot of research that the company's real estate team conducts in order to strategically select the next Cracker Barrel location. She explained the company looks for areas that have a deep connection with family-oriented values. They also look into demographics to identify growing areas. Cracker Barrel combines the dining experience with a shopping experience through the integration of its gift shops. Every Cracker Barrel has the same store, which features a "food wall" with the companies top brands. She said the founder of the company had "the old country store in mind" when he started the first Cracker Barrel. In addition to food, the company also sells apparel items ranging from rain boots to sweatshirts.
