Would Cracker Barrel Restaurants do well right off the Capital Beltway? (Alexandria: hotels, buy)

[I'm Retired Now]

One thing I notice about Northern VA is a general lack of reasonable American style old fashioned restaurants near the Capital Beltway.

Sure, there are fast food places but what is missing is a place to get old fashioned comfort food like I grew up with in the 1960s in the Midwest. You know, a restaurant with a menu like the Cracker Barrel. Ham, chicken, roast beef, vegetables, pies, cakes. A place an old fashioned blue collar person would feel comfortable.

Have you been to a Cracker Barrel restaurant? They are all over the Midwest and Eastern US. The closest one is Manassas. They are always crowded and full of regular folks who look the same at every Cracker Barrel I go to. The Cracker Barrel Customers look to come out of central casting.

If I had money I would like to open a Cracker Barrel just off the Capital Beltway on Braddock Road, or just off the beltway on Little River Turnpike. Would it do well in Northern VA? Would you go there?

[tgbwc]

My family wouldn't go. We have been four times. Once to one in PA. Once to one along I95 in NC, and twice to the one at I95 and 234 in PW. Every time the service and food have been awful.

We don't go often (maybe twice in the past few years), but for a similar menu, I'd prefer Bob Evans.

[NC211]

I love CB! In fact, sitting on my deck right now (and have been for 4 years) are 4 of their white rocking chairs that I bought from a CB store in Chicago years ago. When my wife and I have the free time away from the kids (usually when I don't have to be in the office and they're in school), we jet down to the CB in Manassas for a loading up of some hashbrown cassarole, carmel apples, and whatever else my doctor tells me I shouldn't like. I also load up on candy from the store on my way out. When we used to have to make that 19 hour drive from chicago to nc with the kids, we'd call ahead to one that we knew of in Kentucky and place an order to go. We'd sit in the car with the kids and eat like the rabid parent of two in diapers (at that time) that we were. Then, we'd giggle our way through WV and down into NC through Winston.

However, I don't think I've ever seen a CB in an urban setting before. Their business model seems to be off of an exit of a major highway further out to help control overhead and pad profit margins.

Now, if you want to make some money here - buy the rights to Diet Sundrop and run a few ads that say something along lines of "Hey, you from NC - I've got the Diet Sundrop right here for you".... and start printing the money.

[Caladium]

Cracker Barrels are perfect for road trips. Also popular with the crowd that wants an inexpensive place to go every week after church (or after a meeting/classes/etc.). The food is not fabulous but it's wholesome. Some of the dishes can be quite tasty, and if you're on a long road trip you can be fairly safe knowing that you won't have an upset stomach or need to go to the bathroom within an hour or two of eating there. The store always has hokey but amusing items that give you things to look at while you wait to digest what you just ate. And occasionally you find the perfect souvenir there (especially if you want a local t-shirt or something with "country chic"). Usually, they're also perched on hillsides along an interstate, which means they're not only easy to see from the highway, they also tend to have large parking lots where you can walk around for a little bit and stretch the legs--sometimes they even have a decent view of the local scenery.

When I'm on a road trip, I look for them because I'd much rather each chicken and mashed potatoes than the fast food found along the interstate, which is usually the only other option.

So is a Cracker Barrel the right fit for the beltway? Well... I doubt it. Cracker Barrels are usually found at fairly calm stretches of an interstate. I think they try to choose locations where drivers feel relaxed about exiting and traffic is light enough that they can look for them for a few miles before making the exit. That doesn't describe the beltway. People driving through DC en route to somewhere else won't want to stop--they'd rather just power through and get past the beltway before even thinking about stopping to eat.

Locals might eat there, I suppose, but to be honest I think they would more likely choose other restaurants. Bob Evans, Denny's and Panera sort of have the local markets for the after church/after meeting crowd. You asked if people on this forum would eat there. We wouldn't (although I love them when I'm on a road trip).

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by Caladium

So is a Cracker Barrel the right fit for the beltway? IMO, no. Cracker Barrels are usually found at fairly calm stretches of an interstate. I think they try to choose locations where drivers feel relaxed about exiting and traffic is light enough that they can look for them for a few miles before making the exit. That doesn't describe the beltway. People driving through DC en route to somewhere else won't want to stop--they'd rather just power through and get past the beltway before even thinking about stopping to eat.

Locals might eat there, I suppose, but to be honest I think they would more likely choose other restaurants. Bob Evans, Denny's and Panera sort of have the local markets for the after church/after meeting crowd. I personally wouldn't eat at a local one (although I love them when I'm on a road trip).

^^^^ This ^^^^

Cracker Barrel is geared towards traveler. No traveler wants to stop on the Beltway if they don't have to.

[Yankeesfan]

A new Embassy Suites recently opened off of 95, just south of the Mixing Bowl. The only food place is a Wendy's across the street. If I had the money, I would open a Cracker Barrel there. I'm wishing that someone else who has the money will decide to open one and yes, I would be a regular customer!

[choff5]

The problem is not just CB, but there is no type of restaurant like that on the beltway, at least the Virginia side from what I see, for the travelor passing through. I'm not surprised, land is too expensive for it and no signage available if there is one. We had friends MANY years ago, before it was as busy as now, complain about not being able to find a place to pull off to eat while on 495. If you are traveling through and looking for signs I don't think you will find them. All us locals know there's plenty of places but someone traveling through who can only see sound barriers may not have a clue or the nerve to venture off.

[bsh5w]

Someone told me they saw one on Monday under construction on 606 in Sterling (just off of Rt 28). Then I found this:
:: Cracker Barrel (Sterling VA) LDI-Line: Construction Project Leads, Plans, Information and Printing::

[I'm Retired Now]

Originally Posted by Yankeesfan

A new Embassy Suites recently opened off of 95, just south of the Mixing Bowl. The only food place is a Wendy's across the street. If I had the money, I would open a Cracker Barrel there. I'm wishing that someone else who has the money will decide to open one and yes, I would be a regular customer!

That would be a great location, with all the motels and hotels near by.

[JD984]

Didn't there used to be a restaurant like this on Route 123 in Oakton right off 66? Maybe it's still there. I know there used to be a Howard Johnson's off the Beltway on Route 1 in Alexandria, as well.

I think it's kind of happenstance what ends up where. If you can have a Silver Diner off the Beltway and Gallows, I don't know why you couldn't have a Cracker Barrel or Bob Evans off Braddock or Telegraph (although I realize the real subtext here is that there are no "regular folk" left in NoVa).