Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, 253 Forum Drive: 15 April 2024 11 comments
I took these pictures on 20 January 2024 after commenter Mall Guy predicted on 16 January that this location was closing. I haven't been back since, but at some point I will get shots of the closed store.
I like Cracker Barrel fine, but it doesn't come up on my rotation often, and I don't believe I ever actually ate at this location. I do know that I bought several gift items at the attached store. This Village At Sandhill outparcel seems like a decent location. It doesn't fit with the chain's Interstate preference, but there is a good bit of traffic on Two Notch, and with the growth of Killian Road, and the widening of Clemson Road to four lanes all the way to I-20, it's not too far off the Interstates..
However, both the media stories I see report the chain saying this store just wasn't making the numbers. You can check those out at WLTX & The State.
(Hat tip to commenter Mall Guy)
UPDATE 9 May 2024 -- Some post-closing shots:
11 Responses to 'Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, 253 Forum Drive: 15 April 2024'
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Erick
17 Apr 24 at 8:15 am
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The current theory on Nextdoor is that the rent in the Sandhills area was getting pricey.
That and there's another one at the I-77/Farrow Road/Lagrange Rd exit. Pretty close for another Crackerbarrel.
Mr BO
17 Apr 24 at 10:52 am
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The space is being marketed as 3 units or as 1 unit. A complete renovation will take place either way.
Mall Guy
17 Apr 24 at 12:04 pm
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Be careful where Nextdoor is concerned. In my brief experience, it should be renamed Karens.com.
I had occasion to be at Sandhills around Christmas. I needed something, I was in the area and thought I might find it there. I was surprised how many empty storefronts there were. I remember when Sandhills opened and everyone was saying how this would be to that area what Columbiana is to Irmo. They tried selling condos there at one point, for almost $200K to start. Those are now apartments, from what I saw
Sandhills strikes me as a good idea that somehow got lost in translation.
Lone Wolf
18 Apr 24 at 6:37 am
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WLTX had a blurb at https://youtu.be/KvVOS4UFvCY talking about the closure of this Cracker Barrel and a discussion at https://youtu.be/2yG_SFwLwfA about the future of the Village at Sandhill corrior...
Several folks here over the years have wanted to write off Village at Sandhill as a failure (which I don't see it as such) but I do see where many of the ideas Kahn Development had when they pionerred this 300 acre site haven't panned out as originally hoped. Plus there are some corporate level bankruptcies that have impacted things. I also remember that some prospective tenants that Kahn had hoped for wound up setting up shop at Sparkleberry Square (Kohl's being the most notable one I can think of).
Cracker Barrel is a restaurant that doesn't franchise their stores...all of their stores are company owned and I have a feeling that they're a case of once you've seen one you've seen them all...
Andrew
18 Apr 24 at 10:17 pm
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How did who ever this, "Mall Guy", is predict this place closing?
Wintw
14 May 24 at 1:08 am
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Last week I encountered this article talking about major changes coming to Cracker Barrel after their new CEO expressed a comment that it is "not as relevant" and that it needs a transformation before goign on to name 3 upcoming changes...
Andrew
2 Jun 24 at 5:41 pm
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None of those new items are things I would order - either because I don't eat them at all, or because I know the restaurant version is not going to be as good as homemade.
Cracker Barrel was one of my favorite restaurants for a very long time. It was consistently good and I knew I was going to get great service. My only complaint was the chairs were horribly uncomfortable and the tables are too small for the number of plates and bowls my family usually ends up getting when we order.
However, that is no longer the case. For the last couple of years the food has steadily decreased in quality and the service is almost always bad - not refilling our drinks, getting the orders wrong in some way, servers with attitudes, etc. And forget doing a take out order - they can't seem to get those right at all.
Gypsie
2 Jun 24 at 11:13 pm
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A server at Chili's asked if we had "killed it" yet - finished our food. Also, that place was filthy.
Robin
3 Jun 24 at 12:16 am
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Gypsie is totally right about the decline of the once-great Cracker Barrel.
One thing I'll add is that the portions are significantly smaller as well.
I suspect restaurants are having a hard time navigating the new waters post-Covid, as I can't think of any national chain "sit down restaurants" (like Cracker Barrel) that I equate with quality anymore.
BrianTR
6 Jun 24 at 8:16 am
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BrianTR - good point about the portion sizes. We used to be able to bring home half our meal for lunch or dinner the next day, but now we almost never come home with anything. Even their corn muffins and biscuits - including the little tubs of jelly - are smaller now.
Shrinkflation is absolutely bonkers at this point in the game. The game that none of us want to play.
Gypsie
6 Jun 24 at 11:15 am
I saw this one coming more than a year ago. The last time I ate there, the food was an utter disappointment.