Dive Brief:
- Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc.'s plan to bring its brand to grocers' shelves had been put on hold by a legal dispute. That disagreement has been settled.
- Kraft, which sells a cheese under its own Cracker Barrel brand, had argued the chain's plans threatened its trademark. Under the terms of the agreement, the chain will a slightly different logo and sell foods under the CB Old Country Store brand.
- Bacon, ham and lunch meat should begin appearing in stores under the new brand within weeks through distributor John Morrell Food Group.
Dive Insight:
We're pleased that Kraft and Cracker Barrel have settled their dispute. There are entirely too many legal actions in American business. So we're always happy to hear when cooler heads prevail. But we're a little less enthusiastic about the plan to bring some of Cracker Barrel's store magic into the supermarket. We love Cracker Barrel restaurants! The kitschy decor, the old toys and candies, the rocking chairs—if you've never been to a Cracker Barrel with the kids and the grandparents then you have missed the single most fun collision of generations possible. We love going to Cracker Barrel. But not necessarily eating there. The place is magic. The food is just standard American fare (although that chicken and dumplings is way better than standard.) So we're a little pessimistic about the power of the brand outside of the restaurants.
