Cracker Barrel to Launch New Loyalty Program Based on Fan-Favorite Game

Cracker Barrel, a national chain focused on down-home southern cooking and a family atmosphere, is joining the loyalty program movement in restaurants, and their version will be a game with a very familiar look.

Starting later this month, the chain will be launching a loyalty program for fans themed around the popular peg game you can find on every table in each restaurant.

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According to Nation's Restaurant News, the Lebanon, Tennessee-based company will be focusing its marketing for the next quarter on holiday sales, and the loyalty "game" will be a major part of that. Patrons of any Cracker Barrel establishment can earn loyalty rewards through both retail and restaurant purchases.

And it's not going to be limited to just an app, either.

“We know technology is important to a lot of our consumers,” incoming Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Fells Masino said. “But even if you're not super into technology, we're allowing you to earn points outside of the app, which is really distinctive in the industry. And we'll allow everybody to participate and let everybody know that we value them and that we value their visits with us.”

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“We had expected the traffic would improve in June and July with the onset of the summer travel season,” said Sandra Cochran, who will be stepping down as Cracker Barrel president CEO, on the call. “Unfortunately, this didn't materialize, and our restaurant and retail sales performance came in below our expectations. Although they've stabilized, we believe these fourth-quarter traffic trends will continue through most of the first quarter as well.”

Cracker Barrel is focused on marketing during the upcoming holiday season, during the company’s second quarter, and launching its first loyalty program, which Cochran said would be “a meaningful traffic driver as well as a key source of guest insight and data.”

While it will take time to build awareness and participation, she said, “We believe it has the potential to be the best, most engaging loyalty program in the full-service dining industry and will help us further extend our hospitality into the digital realm.”

The loyalty program is based on Cracker Barrel’s peg game, and participants will earn “pegs” for each dollar they spend with in both the restaurants and the retail shops.

As if we needed another reason to go get some biscuits and cornbread (but mostly the biscuits, right?).

You can also expect some major firepower behind the campaign to raise awareness.

“We'll be partnering with Dolly Parton in late October to highlight the program,” Cochran added, “and to promote Dolly's highly anticipated collaborative album, ‘Rock Star,’ which will be available in our stores.”