Hey y’all! Cracker Barrel is an iconic American roadside dining experience, but it hasn’t been part of the urban New York City landscape… until now. Today, a tiny “NYC-sized” Cracker Barrel will be in Foley Square in Lower Manhattan. At just 269 square feet, the mobile pop up is part of the restaurant chain’s 50th anniversary celebration culminating in a float at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade on Thursday.
Dubbed the “Tiny Home Away from Home,” the mini Cracker Barrel packs a lot of nostalgia and charm derived directly from the roadside restaurants Americans have loved for half a century. There will be a front porch with a set of Cracker Barrel’s rocking chairs, a replica of the grand fireplace that is located in every restaurant, and a miniature version of the sprawling old country retail store. There is even wood used in the fireplace and the store portion of the Cracker Barrel pop up that was reclaimed from the original Cracker Barrel store which opened in 1969 in Lebanon, Tennessee. According to a video about the process, Joe Stewart the Decor Supervisor at Cracker Barrel pulled some Thanksgiving and Christmas theme decor from the company’s warehouse (which looks to be a vintage lover’s paradise, by the way).
Photo courtesy Cracker Barrel
After today’s Underground Tour of the NYC subway, Untapped New York’s Chief Experience Officer Justin Rivers will be checking out the miniature Cracker Barrel with the company’s team today and updating this article with more photographs. We also learned some crazy fun facts: Since Thanksgiving 2010, Cracker Barrel has served approximately 3.8 million pounds of turkey, 49.6 million ounces of turkey gravy, and 3 million pounds of sweet potato casserole.
Photo courtesy Cracker Barrel
Photo courtesy Cracker Barrel
Jeff Sigel, Vice President of Marketing at Cracker Barrel said in a press release, “As we celebrate our golden anniversary, this is a big moment for Cracker Barrel, and we wanted to do something extra special to mark our first ever-appearance in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade by creating a miniature Cracker Barrel experience that recalls the unique atmosphere of hospitality enjoyed by guests. With no locations in New York City, we’re unveiling our tiny home in Foley Square on November 27th and offering those in the area the opportunity to experience a taste of Cracker Barrel as we honor our 50-year legacy.”
Photo courtesy Cracker Barrel
The Cracker Barrel float at the Thanksgiving Parade will aim to further replicate the old country charm and sense of nostalgia the restaurant company evokes, including local Americana memorabilia, a glowing fireplace, a set of rocking chairs on a recreated front porch, a vintage gramophone, vintage toys, and apparently, an oven that can fit 150 twenty-pound turkeys. Country music singer Tenille Towns will perform “Somebody’s Daughter” on the float.
Michelle is the founder of Untapped New York and the author of The Art Spy (HarperOne, forthcoming) Secret Brooklyn, Secret New York Hidden Bars & Restaurants, and Broadway. michelleyoungwriter.com
