Cracker Barrel’s New Travel Policy: Eat Our Food or Pay Your Own

Cracker Barrel Tells Traveling Employees: If You’re on the Clock, You’re Eating Our Meatloaf

If you work for Cracker Barrel and find yourself hitting the road for business, you might want to start working up an appetite for country-fried steak. The iconic Southern-themed chain is reportedly implementing a strict new dining policy that requires employees to eat at its own restaurants while traveling on the company dime.

According to a leaked internal memo first reported by the Wall Street Journal, the company expects its staff to dine at Cracker Barrel locations for "all or the majority of meals" during work trips, provided there is a location nearby.

The End of the "Open" Expense Account

For years, the business trip has been one of the few perks left for corporate workers—a chance to explore a new city’s food scene on the company’s credit card. But at Cracker Barrel, those days appear to be over.

The new guidance explicitly states that employees should stick to the home team whenever practical. If a worker decides they’d rather have sushi or a burger from a competitor, they might find themselves reaching for their own wallet.

The belt-tightening doesn't stop at the food. The memo also notes that alcohol will no longer be reimbursed unless it’s for a special occasion that has been pre-approved by senior leadership. Essentially, if you want a beer with your hashbrown casserole, you’re paying for it yourself.

Why the Sudden Change?

It’s no secret that Cracker Barrel has had a rocky couple of years. The company has been battling slumping sales and a series of public relations headaches.

The Rebrand Backlash: In 2025, the chain attempted a "modern" makeover, including a minimalist logo and menu changes. The response was swift and brutal, with many long-time fans (and even some high-profile politicians) accusing the brand of losing its soul.

Financial Pressure: With foot traffic declining, the company is looking for every possible way to trim the fat. Forcing employees to eat in-house keeps the money within the company ecosystem and drastically reduces travel expenses.

Brand Loyalty or Forced Flavor? Management likely views this as a way to ensure employees stay "intimate" with the product they sell. Critics, however, argue it’s a bit overbearing to tell a grown adult exactly what they have to eat for three meals a day just because they’re 100 miles from home.

A Tough Pill to Swallow

While corporate "travel-scrimping" is becoming a trend across America, Cracker Barrel’s approach feels uniquely personal. For many employees, the policy is just another sign of a shifting culture.

Is it a smart business move or a morale killer? Only time—and the next quarterly earnings report—will tell. For now, Cracker Barrel "road warriors" better get used to the sound of those wooden peg games, because they’ll be seeing a lot more of them.

What do you think? Is it fair for a company to mandate what you eat on a business trip, or is this corporate overreach at its finest?