Some American diners may have to find a new go-to spot for chicken and dumplings and country-fried steak following the sudden closures of four Cracker Barrel locations.
The southern-themed chain just shuttered two California restaurants located at 1000 Howe Ave. in Sacramento and 905 Betteravia Road in Santa Maria.
Cracker Barrel has also closed its outposts located at 1445 Center Drive in Medford, Ore., and 253 Forum Drive in Columbia, S.C., KXTV reported.
When contacted for comment on the reasons for the closures, Cracker Barrel shared the following statement with Eat This, Not That!:
"As a standard course of business, we continually evaluate the performance of our stores, using various criteria to ensure we are meeting the needs of our guests and our business," the statement read. "
We have made the difficult decision to close four Cracker Barrel locations, including two in California, one in Oregon, and one in the greater Columbia, S.C. area. The decision to close a store is never one we take lightly, and our focus right now is on assisting our impacted employees during this transition."
The news of the closures comes at a time when Cracker Barrel is struggling to bring customers into its restaurants. The company has been reporting declines in guest traffic for over a year, including a 4% decline in its most recent quarter.
But during a February earnings call, they detailed several efforts that are underway to reverse the trend.