By Gail Marsh
Chances are you’ve eaten there or perhaps parked your RV overnight in their parking lot. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is a favorite restaurant for folks who love homestyle comfort food. It’s also a fun place to shop for toys, clothing, snacks, and more! Have you ever wondered how this iconic business started? Me, too!
The invention of Cracker Barrel: 1969
Dan W. Evins opened the very first Cracker Barrel in the fall of 1969. Evins served as a sales rep for Shell Oil Company at the time and was looking for a way to increase fuel sales. So, he built the restaurant with a gift store just off Interstate 40 near Lebanon, Tennessee. Traditional Southern-style foods served included turnip greens, biscuits and gravy, grits, dumplings, and country ham.
1970s
The original store was so successful that Evins incorporated the business in 1970. Soon afterward he leased land near busy interstate gasoline stations and opened several more stores.
Evins’ inspiration for the business came from his childhood memories of local country stores in the South. Back in the day, soda crackers were shipped and sold from barrels. People often gathered around the barrels to discuss local news and gossip. Evins fashioned his restaurants to look like old-time general stores featuring a large front porch and rustic interior. The company used antiques and local artifacts to decorate the interior of each store to further establish the country theme.
Fuel shortages
When gasoline fuel shortages hit in the late 1970s, Evins began building stores without fuel pumps, hoping that the restaurant and gift shop could compensate for the loss of gasoline revenue. It worked, and Evins continued to open more stores throughout the South.
Iconic logo
In 1977, Evins met with a local ad agency to redesign a logo for the store. Bill Holley met with Evins and after discussing the possibilities, Holley drew a logo sketch on a napkin. Evins was so pleased with the drawing (a man sitting next to a cracker barrel) that he hired the Nashville artist. Today the logo is well-recognized throughout the country.
Cracker Barrel man
People often wonder about the man in the Cracker Barrel logo. Holley’s sketch wasn’t inspired by an actual man. Instead, it came from Evins’ description of farmers he remembered from his childhood. The man featured in Holley’s logo was dubbed “Old Timer.” Later, he was renamed “Uncle Herschel” because Evins’ real Uncle Herschel enjoyed promoting Cracker Barrel. He often strolled through neighborhoods, handing out gold cards to people in the community. Folks could redeem the gold card for a free meal.
Continued growth
In 1981, Cracker Barrel became a publicly traded company, and Evins used the money to grow his business. Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, the company continued to expand into almost every area of the United States. It added local regional dishes to its menu but retained its original Southern favorites. By 1993, Cracker Barrel enjoyed revenue that was almost twice that of any other family restaurant in business at the time.
By 2011, Cracker Barrel had restaurant/gift shops in 42 states. Dan Evins died from cancer in 2012. As of February 2025, there are 658 Cracker Barrel locations in 44 states (Florida has the most locations).
Do you like to eat at Cracker Barrel? Have you ever parked your RV there overnight? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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##RVT1204
I have, I park, go in have dinner and up early for blueberry pancakes. It is safe when I travel alone. What I do not do is set up lawn chairs and generator as I try to stay low and do not own a generator. I get a good nights sleep and get on my way. I have met some very nice people along the way.
Thank you Susan for being the person who thinks of others and not simply themselves!
We’ve loved the Cracker Barrel restaurants for decades but after bad experiences overnighting in both rest areas and Walmarts, Cracker Barrel is now our preferred overnight stop.
They are a great place to spend the night but an interesting thing happened on the way to AZ this year going through Flagstaff. We usually make the stop overnight in flag. Most of time it’s a snow storm or bad weather in that area. Last year they had the parking roped off and no one inside could say why but said could park in another area. This year there were signs saying no camping. I went inside and ask and was lucky to talk to someone of authority and he said the city came up with a ban on no camping in city limits. He then said this is private property and you are my guest so have a good night, so parking is ok just no camping on city property, So they found a way around that city reg.
Thanks Frank for sharing your story! 😃 This man is a true Patriot! Let freedom ring! 🇺🇸
Being a PNWester, I’ve never been to one. Someday I will!!
I watched with interest as the first CB was built. It was on the route between my home in Nashville and college in Cookville. I visited as soon as it opened and was impressed with the concept. Little did I know then it would become the national chain it is now.
Needless to say, their food is the food of my childhood. We love to overnight at CB, especially if we have to stay in a large city. Their lots are usually large and safe. I look forward to either dinner or breakfast, and a nostalgic stroll thru the candy section of the market. We always check with the manager to be sure there are no city ordinances, and thank them for allowing us to stay.
We’ve stayed at Cracker Barrel 15-20 times over our 15 years of fulltime travel & eaten there around 50 times, even after having a horrible experience in 2008 at the Kissimmee, FL location. I was there as an entrant in the National Pie Baking championship event, after winning the “Best Apple Pie in Michigan” contest earlier. We went to Cracker Barrel the night before the judging & I got severe food poisoning & ended up in emergency overnight. That’s the sickest I’ve ever been in my 80 years on this earth. It took a year or so before I would return to Cracker Barrels, but we still enjoy the food.
Our local Cracker Barrel off I 10 in Tallahassee is the best and if you want to park there over night you better get your spot early. The thing about all Cracker Barrels is it is a balanced meal. Plenty of vegetables are on the menu. If you order fruit for breakfast you get real fresh fruit not green melon. Plus they have hung on where other’s have failed and every time I walk in one I think of good times with our three little girls dressed in their Sunday finest. They also have some pretty decent take out deals if you belong to their club
Started RVing in 1988 and ever since we tried our first Cracker Barrel, we have been devout fans. The food is always good tasting and ample amounts. My son and daughter tell friends that we travel by the Cracker Barrel map and time our travels to be near a store at meal times. Now they have contests to see who can guess how many CBs we will visit on our next trip! My wife spends more time in the store than we do at the meal tables! She buys birthday and Christmas gifts for the kids, grand kids and friends. And YES, I do have a Cracker Barrel rocker on my back patio!
Thank you for sharing Cracker Barrel’s history, Gail! Yes, we do eat at one near us from time to time, perhaps as often as annually. We also have overnighted in Cracker Barrel parking lots on three occasions, once each in Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Have a great weekend and safe travels!