3 new cracker barrel locations coming

[Robin Garr]

Is Cheddars a curse word around here?

Not so much a curse, Art. It's just that the crowds and the lines waiting to eat don't match the perceived quality of the place, and none of us have ever been able to figure out why it draws THAT well.

... and none of us have ever been able to figure out why it draws THAT well.

I've never been so I have to withdraw from the inclusion of "none of us".

Been to CB with my dad, though, and he has one of their rocking chairs.

Robin, I think Cheddar's has a good following because it's cheap and it's not that bad. Compared to O'Charley's it a step or two up, and those places are usually packed too. Though having been to two of the Cheddar locations in town, I can say they are not on par with some of the other locations I've been to.

the amount business that you typically see at their locations attests to that fact.

No kidding, Im always amazed how many cars are in those lots. I spend a fair amount of time on the interstates and no matter what state were in,its always the same. Personally I dont see the appeal.

Trying to say this as non-judgementally as I possibly can, and seeking information, not yuks: I wonder how much crossover there is between the diners who line up at Cheddar's and those who line up at Cracker Barrel.

I've eaten at Cheddar's only a few times, and am amazed at how busy they always seems to be with what is (IMO) a mediocre dining experience...they do seem to offer large portions, so the price-value aspect may be their big hook (??)

Robin, I think Cheddar's has a good following because it's cheap and it's not that bad. Compared to O'Charley's it a step or two up, and those places are usually packed too. Though having been to two of the Cheddar locations in town, I can say they are not on par with some of the other locations I've been to.

I certainly agree that one of the big draws for Cheddar's is that it's cheap and has large servings. I would certainly not consider it a step or two up from O'Charley's!

i find this cracker barrel bashing so immature. i never seen such mean people until i came on here.
i was just posting: "for your information"
i coud give a rats ass if you like cracker barrel or not. i wasn't posting for solicitations or your opinions.
granted everyone has a right to their opinions, but must you all be so negative? they pay local taxes and hire local people.
they employ 69,000 people in the states. it's not like we are in a healthy economy these days. so there out of tennessee. big deal.
i personally happen to know of some locals indies who are not kosher. one indie in ky who had a restaurant was not paying his taxes and cooking the books. he was sending all his profits and hidden assets, to another country. he ended up in federal prison. why aren't you all getting upset that the money wasn't staying here locally?
get over it, chains are here to stay. you don't have to like them, but i bet if it came down to a chain being the only one open on a major highway in the late hours of you journey you would patronize them.
such pompous people on here and you know who you are. enough said.

Annemarie .... why are you trying to be rational. Making sense sometimes is a no no. You are supposed to hate chains as a matter of faith.

Cheddar's is cheap and has large portions. That's why it's always so busy. They also have a good variety on the menu so it's easy to please a crowd. Same could be said for Cracker Barrel.

Why must it be mutually exclusive that you either support locals or support chains? We eat at locals most of the time, but do visit chains occasionally.

Cheddars is always busy. I agree its probably the portions that keep people coming back. If we are in the neighborhood on Saturday before noon we'll go.

I don't really like O'charleys.

Is it Chuys (?) that's opening in that new lot in Clarksville? I look forward to trying something new when they open.

[Robin Garr]

Why must it be mutually exclusive that you either support locals or support chains? We eat at locals most of the time, but do visit chains occasionally.

Kari, I think most of us do that, and certainly you can look at my list of restaurants reviewed and see that I have reviewed plenty of chains and even said nice things about many of them and given them good ratings.

With that as background, I hope no one will be offended if I give you my honest opinion about a couple of reasons why I prefer locals:

* I think it's the independent local businesses - and certainly restaurants - that give our city its unique flavor. I've traveled in all 50 states, and when I get off an interstate at a suburban interchange where I see an Olive Garden, a Cheddar's, a Macaroni Grill, an O'Charley's and a Waffle House all lined up in a row, I don't know where I am. But if I drive down Lexington Road or Frankfort Avenue in Louisville or Clark or Lincoln in Chicago or walk around Astoria or Cobble Hill in New York's outer boroughs, etc., I know I'm in someplace intereresting with its own local personality that won't be quite the same as anywhere else.

* Philosophically, in general I think that national and international corporations are likely to find a balance between profits and quality at a different point than small businesses. I'm content with the free-market system, but I'd rather have that little extra go onto my plate than into the company's quarterly earnings report and the stockholders' pockets.

* In a related matter, I feel I'm a little more likely to get excellent service when I walk in the door and the owner is in the building than when the guy in charge is a mid-level employee of a company whose headquarters are in another city in another part of the country.

* As has been discussed in this topic, some chains have established a public record of corporate behavior that I'm not willing to support. Repeated formal complaints about diversity, whether it involves hiring gays and lesbians or serving minorities; or virulent anti-unionism and poor treatment of employees. If I'm aware of a pattern of this type, I will not eat there and I will not review the business.

For all those reasons, I tilt in prefernce of locals. But it's not 100 percent either/or, because I will eat in a chain to review it (barring the exception above), or even just because it's convenient when I travel.

* As has been discussed in this topic, some chains have established a public record of corporate behavior that I'm not willing to support. Repeated formal complaints about diversity, whether it involves hiring gays and lesbians or serving minorities; or virulent anti-unionism and poor treatment of employees. If I'm aware of a pattern of this type, I will not eat there and I will not review the business.

Robin-
While I certainly share and respect your stance not to eat in or review places that engage in discriminatory acts, I don't believe that these types of irresponsible behaviors are limited to chains. Although I can't prove it, my gut tells me that these particular behaviors occur at about the same ratio at chains and non chains. The difference is in perception and the publicity that each category generates. Chains by their nature are larger and more likely to attract attention by virtue of their regional or national reach and their pockets are much deeper than the local guy struggling to get by. Hardly anyone gets all excited when Bob's Bar makes minorities feel unwelcome or fires an employee for union activities, but let it be a chain and then the volume is ratcheted up logarithmically as well as the chance of litigation.
BP

I love that the owner of Kobes in jeffersonville and all of the sushi chefs know me, and I recognize nearly all the servers and chefs.

Cracker Barrel on the other hand I've never see the same employee twice. It's weird. Where do all of their people go?

[Robin Garr]

While I certainly share and respect your stance not to eat in or review places that engage in discriminatory acts, I don't believe that these types of irresponsible behaviors are limited to chains. Although I can't prove it, my gut tells me that these particular behaviors occur at about the same ratio at chains and non chains.

Granted, but visibility isn't trivial, and bad behavior shouldn't be rewarded when we know about it.

I can think of at least one local spot that I avoided because of its owner's public position on an issue I cared about. But I don't want to be the morality police either, and generally reserve this decision for egregious situations.

I love that the owner of Kobes in jeffersonville and all of the sushi chefs know me, and I recognize nearly all the servers and chefs.

Cracker Barrel on the other hand I've never see the same employee twice. It's weird. Where do all of their people go?

I'll agree it is nice to hit up some of the locals and see the same faces and have them recognize you. As we are on our last few days in town, we've been making our rounds to see some of those people and look forward to seeing a few more of those faces in the next couple days. I'm personally hoping we get the hyper-active server at Selena's tomorrow that is so cheery he practically sings to you the whole time! Besides being entertaining, he is very on top of it all and knows what we like.

I wonder if the turn over at Cracker Barrel and similar chains is due to the money made. It's seldom my husband and I have a bill over $20 there. While we usually tip more than the 20% they get a lot of the crowd that still thinks 10%-15% is a generous tip. I've also noticed some of the more expensive chains, such as Ruth's Crisp and Morton's, have less turn over. One of my favorite chains, Maggiano's have very little turn over, at least at the Troy, MI location anyways. Different expectations + vastly larger bills = better tips that are easier to survive on?

* As has been discussed in this topic, some chains have established a public record of corporate behavior that I'm not willing to support. Repeated formal complaints about diversity, whether it involves hiring gays and lesbians or serving minorities; or virulent anti-unionism and poor treatment of employees. If I'm aware of a pattern of this type, I will not eat there and I will not review the business.

Robin-
While I certainly share and respect your stance not to eat in or review places that engage in discriminatory acts, I don't believe that these types of irresponsible behaviors are limited to chains. Although I can't prove it, my gut tells me that these particular behaviors occur at about the same ratio at chains and non chains. The difference is in perception and the publicity that each category generates. Chains by their nature are larger and more likely to attract attention by virtue of their regional or national reach and their pockets are much deeper than the local guy struggling to get by. Hardly anyone gets all excited when Bob's Bar makes minorities feel unwelcome or fires an employee for union activities, but let it be a chain and then the volume is ratcheted up logarithmically as well as the chance of litigation.
BP

The larger your market share, the brighter the spotlight should be.

I love that the owner of Kobes in jeffersonville and all of the sushi chefs know me, and I recognize nearly all the servers and chefs.

Cracker Barrel on the other hand I've never see the same employee twice. It's weird. Where do all of their people go?

I think all of us know enough about the food service industry to understand that employee turnover can be an issue in some dining establishments, depending upon many variables...not ALL Cracker Barrels are subject to the level of turnover that you have observed at one location. I live in Oldham County, and the CB in LaGrange employs many staff members who have worked there for years, and we continue to see many familiar faces whenever dining there...and interact with staff in much the same way as others might in an "Indie" restaurant.

The advent of three new CB locations in the area will add new jobs to an economy that needs new jobs...whether you choose to support them or not is certainly your choice.