The One Thing Employees Won't Tell You About Cracker Barrel's Rewards Program, According To Reddit

Cracker Barrel hasn't had a rewards program for very long (the restaurant chain introduced it in 2023). Because of that, it can be perhaps forgiven for making a few mistakes along the way. A recent Reddit post on the Cracker Barrel subforum describes one such mistake: "Cashiers are required to NOT tell guests that they have rewards they can redeem. We were told to initial a slip of paper telling us that guests can only redeem their points if they tell us that they have rewards they want to claim."

This may not make the list of changes which Cracker Barrel seriously regretted, but the policy is an odd one, to say the least. Given that roughly 40% of Cracker Barrel's customers are over the age of 55 and likely not the most tech-savvy, it doesn't really help most of their customers to know they can check how many points they have using the chain's mobile app or its website. As the Reddit post further noted, "Corporate says it sounds too transactional to ask guests if they wanna redeem their points." 

That may have a grain of truth to it, but it also doesn't seem that awkward to let someone know they can get something for free if they choose. If Cracker Barrel executives were looking for a test case, all they have to do is look at the public backlash Subway received for watering down its reward program. It's not like Cracker Barrel is removing the rewards benefits, but it is making it harder for customers to redeem for what seems like no reason.

One silver lining here is that this element of the rewards program doesn't appear to be universally applied. One commenter wrote, "As a manager at one of the busiest Cracker Barrels. I have never heard of this, and it sounds like something someone made up." Unfortunately, more commenters jumped in to let the manager know that this is indeed a real practice. We won't do a play-by-play on that conversation, but suffice it to say that it looks like some regions are implementing this while others are not (at least, not yet).

As for what you can redeem with your now-obscured Cracker Barrel rewards points, the main attraction is the free entree. Every dollar you spend at Cracker Barrel nets you a single point (called pegs, in reference to the peg game). With 225 points, that free entree is yours. It's not exactly the wildest bargain you ever heard of, but it's a good way to save money at Cracker Barrel if you eat there regularly. There are other rewards you can pick from, mind you, including free drinks, desserts, or side dishes. If you're accustomed to the cashier letting you know you have free food waiting for you and they're no longer saying anything, it might be worthwhile to just download the app and check for yourself. It's a slight annoyance, but better that than leave money on the table.