Cracker Barrel Old Country Store
HQ: Lebanon, Tenn.
No. of Units: 621
High-speed electric vehicle chargers supply an 80 percent charge in about a half hour, less than the time it can take to order and eat a meal.The family-style Cracker Barrel Old Country Store chain has installed electric vehicle charging stations at select Texas and Tennessee locations, including its hometown of Lebanon, Tenn., as a participant in The EV Project, an initiative to increase the adoption of electric vehicles.
High-speed electric vehicle chargers supply gas-free car-driving customers with an 80 percent charge in about a half hour, less than the time it can take to order and eat a meal. While these are well-suited for highway travel and compatible with such vehicles as the Nissan LEAF, participating Cracker Barrel stores also feature other chargers for faster "topping off of the tank" during shorter-distance travel.
Cracker Barrel launched this initiative as a desire to explore energy alternatives and fill an increasing guest need. "We like to think that our guests will be pleased to see Cracker Barrel taking an active role in exploring energy alternatives that are aimed at protecting the environment," says Sandra Cochran, Cracker Barrel president and CEO.
The original Cracker Barrel stores from 42 years ago once featured gas pumps outside their restaurant doors, increasing business profits and offering diners a place to fill up their stomachs and their tanks during rural, long-distance travel, according to Cochran. Those pumps were removed during the 1970s during the oil embargo, she said.
Today, Cracker Barrel is focused on the "Tennessee Triangle" for its car-charging locations, spread throughout the 425-mile stretch of interstate highway connecting Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga.
Company execs did not disclose the annual cost to operate or if future charging stations were planned.
- The Hardware: Chargers for long- and short-distance charging
- No. Restaurants Featuring the Stations: 24 in Tennessee, 8 in Texas
- No. Car-Charging Stations per Restaurant: 2