Cracker Barrel Employee Confirms Suspicions The Staff Has A Code Word For Certain Types Of Customers

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

The eccentric gift shop antique architecture crossover, home of amateur Southern cooking — Cracker Barrel.

Whether you frequented the nationwide chain or it’s solely a nightmare in your childhood fever dreams, you’ve surely seen their company come up in media outlets over the past couple of months.

-snip-

One Cracker Barrel employee confirms they radio a specific code word when Black customers come in.

In a TikTok from January 30, a Cracker Barrel employee is revealed spilling her store’s code word — that they allegedly used to signal that Black customers have arrived at the restaurant.

https://www.tiktok.com/@3_stax_/video/7194585912683318574

“Cracker Barrel has a code word for Black people when they come in,” the employee says on camera, “The way we do it is we say ‘c—’ over the radio. Basically, we tell the back staff that there are Black people here.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/cracker-barrel-employee-confirms-suspicions-that-the-staff-has-a-code-word-for-certain-types-of-customers/ar-AA1766np

[MagickMuffin]

1. Somehow I knew what the code word would be just with the C

I’ve eaten there a couple of times and will never go back. Racist to boot!

[ForgedCrank]

10. You are

willing to make that call against every employee in every Cracker Barrel based on what a single person posed on tik-tok of all places?

[happybird]

2. This must be specific to that location

I have worked at Cracker Barrel and there was no code word.
Never thought I’d defend a corporate restaurant.
The location this employee speaks of, and any others using such a horrid, racist system, should be closed down.

[liberal_mama]

3. When I was a waitress, there were some issues with some waitresses not wanting black people

seated in their sections, but no code word was needed. They'd just tell the hostess to seat them in one of the newer waitresses sections.

[Grown2Hate]

28. Similar experience. I was like 19 or 20 (a good 20

years ago) in South Tucson working as a server at a Po Folks. The other servers hated getting Native families because they "never tipped". I was new and pissed at the overtly racist attitude, so I happily volunteered to take a table one server was complaining about getting sat with; a Native family of 8.

I gave them GREAT, friendly, prompt service the whole time. They ended up leaving like $30 (again, 20 years ago, and Po Folks was like a cheaper Denny's, so it was an amazing tip).

I was the youngest server there so it felt like a fun, awesome teaching moment for me. "Gee, it's almost like you give shit service since you assume they won't tip and it turns into a self fulfilling prophesy."

I feel like that must happen a LOT still.

[liberal_mama]

36. Yeah, that is the same situation I had. I worked at a diner at a truck stop and the senior

waitresses didn't want to wait on people of color because they said they didn't tip or were cheap tippers.

This was in the late 1980s and 1990s. I worked there for 10 years.

When I was hired, I was the youngest server they ever hired (just turned 18). They didn't like to hire younger women because the truckers could be pretty crass (I used to get my ass and bosom grabbed like 20 times each shift) and management didn't want the trouble.

However, I just happened to apply on a day that several waitresses quit and they were desperate and wanted me to start the same night.

A lot of the older waitresses were really rude to some guests so I'm sure their tips were low for that reason.

There was a lot of racism back then and I know it's probably still going on today in many restaurants.

[EX500rider]

4. I think the article means "If this person with no proof isn't lying"

Personally I would need more proof then some random TikTok vid

[ret5hd]

5. Maybe this past event will help you:

https://aaregistry.org/story/restaurant-chain-admits-racism/

[EX500rider]

9. 19 years ago is a long time. Lots of time to change since then. nt

[canuckledragger]

39. Sounds like someone likes moving goalposts when they get an answer...

...they don't like.

[EX500rider]

40. Sorry an almost 20 year old stories not very compelling

It certainly doesn't provide any proof for her current story.

[Solomon]

43. Yep. 19 years ain't that long ago.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

6. A TikTok that has been turned into a clickbait story by "YourTango"

Whatever that website is...

[Iggo]

31. YT? Come on. That one's easy..

[AZSkiffyGeek]

42. There will probably be follow-up clickbait

“I was fired from Cracker Barrel, just for making a TikTok!”

[jpak]

7. Fuck cracker barrel

Ate there once

Racist southern pieces of shite.

Yup

[Chainfire]

14. Why do you find it necessary to insert the word "Southern" into it.

Are you implying that all and only Southerners are racist pieces of shit? If you made such a statement about any other group you would be up in front of the DU jury. Yes, as a Southerner, I resent it.

[ProfessorGAC]

25. Besides....

....I'm from the exurbs of Chicago & there are Cracker Barrels all over the place around here!
So, southern has nothing to do with Cracker Barrel.

[FBaggins]

45. They serve sweet tea and have "cracker" in the name

Obviously they are southern/racist.

[NowISeetheLight]

8. Great French Toast

But I remember stopping at one in the 90s when I drove OTR semi. There was one in Omaha across the freeway from our terminal. I bobtailed over there (tractor only) and parked. I went in to eat and after a while the manager came over and told me no trucks were allowed. I asked why and he said they were too heavy and could damage the parking lot. I replied the RVs in the lot were heavier than the bobtail tractor. Didn’t matter. They didn’t want “us” lowly blue collar trucker folks in their restaurant. Screw them. Never ate there again.

[Hortensis]

11. I don't find this credible enough to just believe. Social media malice

and lies have become even more common than overt racism.

A person who'd smear an entire chain with this supposed personal experience is not someone to just believe.
As happybird says, it might be possible at one or more individual locations -- where some very bad management needed to be kicked out.

But really. How many people do you know who would dutifully call "cunt" when black customers came in, or keep this to themselves in this era of social media?

[Sneederbunk]

16. Agreed, the evidence is quite lame.

[Jedi Guy]

19. Also, given the very visceral reaction to that word in North America...

I kinda feel like it would have sparked an immediate reaction the very first time it was used, particularly among the female staff. One of my D&D group is Australian and he uses the word fairly frequently, as is typical for Aussies, and even after long exposure it still provokes the "Whoa!" reaction from me.

[Ms. Toad]

21. Pretty sure the word was "coon." I listened to it several times.

But it doesn't change your observation. That is such an obvious, racist, reference to blacks that - even if all employees were lock-step in favor of this - it would have been overheard by someone who would have publicized it.

Especially in light of the very similar report about a year ago (a TikToker who alleged "canadian" was used as a code word). If they were using "Canadian" a year ago - and were nationally called out for it, they aren't going to go to a much more obvious (and racist) term less than a year later.

From my perspective, this allegation doesn't pass the laugh test.

[Hortensis]

27. Oh, that's probably it. I tried to think of other C words

but that didn't come. Of course it would also cause that "visceral reaction."

[Ms. Toad]

29. I did see one comment that the word was cool -

Pretty hard to tell from the video. But I had the same reaction . . . what c-word are they referring to. So I ran off to watch the TikTok - and that led to more searches, and finding the suspiciously similar TikTok last year.

[Hortensis]

30. Suspicious, and so horribly common now.

Mean people.

[Celerity]

34. wrong c-word

it wasn't c#nt

it was the last 4 letters in

[Hortensis]

35. Yes, makes sense. What a cutie.

[Chainfire]

12. Why would they do that?

What changes after the "codeword" is issued?

[Otterdaemmerung]

13. As a native Southerner:

Cracker Barrel is Southern food for people who don't know what Southern food should taste like.
Bad food and bad service every time we've been there.
I don't advise eating there.

[dembotoz]

17. welcome to du

yes i have been to a cracker barrel years ago.
Nothing stand out except having to deal with a kid who loved the idea of a gift shop before dinner.
Had to deal with a picky eater AND his disappointment that daddy would not buy the trinkets he wanted from the gift shop.

reminded me of a tourist trap and not in a good way

[Igel]

24. Yet, like McDonald's, they're the same everywhere.

Went to one somewhere between Peoria, AZ, and Nogales just off the interstate.

Later went to one in south Houston.

Then north of Houston.

Better than McDonald's, yet the same. Not as good as Olive Garden (or expensive), more flexible than B-Dubs, upscale from McDonald's.

[dembotoz]

38. i will take mc ds any day.....and not as good as olive garden is a very low bar

i generally left cracker barrel in a bad mood.

sort of defeats the whole damn purpose

[electric_blue68]

18. Luckily for me living in NYC I've gone to a lot of different restaurants in Harlem for...

good ole down home cooking. Yum.


Unfortunately my favorite restaurant didn't set up a
dining shed so I haven't been there since covid.

Maybe I'll tell my sis we should find another restaurant for this summer.

And welcome come to DU, I'm "reccent" by the long timers of 10, 15, 20 yrs!

[Hortensis]

32. They're located near freeway off-and-onramps.

It's been a while, but last time I ordered, some of the breakfast offerings filled the plates with a number of items, which, if considering the price per ounce or calories, would be considered a good deal. Quality was commensurate with affordable pricing offered in a restaurant setting, which is to say meh.

Long ago we used to do a lot of road trips with friends who liked Dennys, which back then my husband and I called "Bad Food and Worse Service," but I learned to appreciate the chain's ubiquity for reliable eggs and hash browns, which I could have for any meal we stopped for. I don't know how it is today, but I'd choose that simple breakfast at Denny's over CB's' fancier offerings.

[Ms. Toad]

20. Has anyone bothered to confirm the TikTok isn't just a prank, playing into confirmation bias?

There was a TikTok from about a year ago, claiming that Cracker Barrell used a code word for Blacks (that one was "Canadian&quot .

Now there's another round, claiming that Cracker Barrell uses a more offensive code word - not only that - but a common racist term which is so obvious it wouldn't need to be exposed by a single employee. Within a week of starting to use it, someone would have overheard it and widely reported it.

Smacks way too much of things we believe because we want them to be true. Frankly, I can't imagine it is. Not because Cracker Barrell doesn't have a racist history - but because the word is such an obvious reference to blacks that it would have been identified for what it was and publicized in a more believable format than a single employee on TikTok, especially since the earlier accusation was reported nationally (and as near as I can find) was not confirmed.

[sinkingfeeling]

22. I worked for a Cracker Barrel in the deep South and it didn't happen in my store.

[tavernier]

23. Hmm, Guess I'll ask the black waitresses that often wait on me at our Cracker Barrel.

That will be interesting.

[treestar]

26. Why would they do that?

In fact some of the staff would be black.

I could see it for customers who are going to be problem in some way - Karen at table 27, for example.

[Sympthsical]

33. One person on TikTok?

Well, shit. That's pretty much like having NASA confirm it for me.

I love how "Cracker Barrel = southern = right-wing = story true!" is literally all the neurons have to fire on this one.

I've only eaten at the place one time in rural Illinois some years ago. Biscuits and gravy was ok. Nothing close to homemade, but adequate for the quick lunch intended.

Edit: And I love how this is framed. "Confirms suspicions!" Like, what? At that one location? Or do people think it's a company-wide thing they put in a secret employee handbook they keep from customers?

[Conjuay]

37. I went into one

once or twice, but I realized I’m allergic to red hats.

[marmar]

41. Trying to reinforce the colloquial meaning of the restaurant's name, I guess.

[Jedi Guy]

44. Off topic but potentially amusing...

A little over ten years ago, right before I left the US for Canada, a buddy of mine was moving from Los Angeles to just outside Athens, Georgia. Since he'd lived in LA his entire life, he'd never bothered with getting a license. We ended up road-tripping it across the country, with another friend of his to share the driving with me, in this beat-up old white minivan.

At some point during our endless trip through Texas, we decided we had to name the ship. All good ships have a name, after all. After a few suggestions, we landed on calling the van the Cracker Barrel. Three white guys in a white van.

I suspect we were just delirious since driving west to east across Texas, it seems like it'll never end. My Californian friends chortled when I told them we'd be in Texas for minimum two days. Two days later, they were dying to see the Louisiana state line.

Ah, good times.