Quarterly Revenue and Guidance Raise
Total revenue of $797.4 million in Q3; company raised full‑year revenue guide to $3.27B–$3.30B and increased full‑year adjusted EBITDA guidance to $120M–$125M.
Adjusted EBITDA and EPS (GAAP vs Adjusted)
Adjusted EBITDA was $40.3 million (5.1% of revenue). GAAP EPS was $1.90 (including a $47.4M litigation settlement), adjusted diluted EPS was $0.29.
Improving Guest Metrics and Operational Execution
Google star rating +4% YoY (highest quarterly score since 2018); food taste and service scores +5% YoY; food temperature +7% YoY; managerial turnover improved 6% YoY; positive trends in hourly turnover — all cited as leading indicators for traffic recovery.
Check Growth, Value Proposition and Pricing
Average restaurant check $15.85, up 4.3% YoY (pricing ~4.4%); Q3 value scores +5% YoY and management emphasizes lower absolute check vs peers (company check vs casual dining >$27 and family dining >$19).
Loyalty and Off‑Premise Momentum
Cracker Barrel Rewards ~12 million members; member‑tracked sales remained above 40% and loyalty member visits increased YoY. Off‑premise sales ~19.6% of restaurant sales, up ~50 basis points YoY (catering and third‑party delivery growth).
Retail Performance and Merchandise Wins
Retail revenue $139M; retail comps outperformed restaurant comps for the first time in >4 years; improvements in units per transaction and average unit retail; standout categories include toys, collectible salt & pepper shakers and American Heritage seasonal merchandise.
Cost Actions, Liquidity and Technology Investments
Corporate restructuring expected to deliver $20M–$25M in annualized G&A savings; advertising and other expense reductions contributed to margin improvement; company ended the quarter with ~$541.3M available liquidity and total debt $486.6M; deploying AI & upgraded website to improve forecasting, labor deployment and off‑premise functionality.