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Take the Family Out to Dinner!

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store(R) Offers Value That Rivals the Cost of Cooking at Home

The news offers occasional hope that the economy is strengthening, but most families are still watching their budgets to make sure they can afford their summer travel and vacation plans. Even in the toughest of economic times, though, some things remain true. Families need to eat, and dining out can still be affordable. In fact, as gas prices stabilize and grocery store costs continue to climb, the 'gap' between the cost of dining out and preparing the same meal at home has narrowed. That's why the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store's focus on offering value, quality and convenience helps families make their hard-earned dollars go further.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index (CPI), http://www.bls.gov/opub/focus/volume2_number3/cpi_2_3.htm#price_trends, an index of the average prices consumers pay for a range of products and services including food and beverages, food prices rose at a 7.5 percent annual rate in the first quarter of 2011, with grocery store prices increasing at an 11.2-percent rate, while the prices of food away from home only increased by 2.8 percent.

So Cracker Barrel's continued focus on value provides families with a way to enjoy summer's long days, without long hours of shopping and cooking. "The media report that other restaurants have raised prices while cutting portion sizes or compromising on the quality of their ingredients," said Cracker Barrel Chef Bill Kintzler. "Cracker Barrel continues to serve the same generous meals, prepared with the highest quality ingredients, at a family-friendly price.

"When families dine with us and then order a meal-to-go for tomorrow, they save time and gasoline by cutting back on a trip to a restaurant or food store," Chef Bill added. And if families take advantage of some energy saving tips from the Tennessee Valley Authority's energyright®solutions, www.energyright.com/energytips.htm, they'll save even more. Tips include setting the refrigerator temperature at 36° to 39° and freezer at 0° to 5° Fahrenheit, using the oven light to check on progress when cooking instead of opening the door, using the microwave when possible and matching the right size pot or pan to the size of your stove burner. With one of our country-sized meals on hand, families just need to add a beverage from their fridge to sit down to a home-style, stress-free meal.

For more information about what's cooking at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® please visit http://www.crackerbarrel.com.

About Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store provides a friendly home-away-from-home in its old country stores and restaurants. Guests are cared for like family while relaxing and enjoying real home-style food and shopping that's surprisingly unique, genuinely fun and reminiscent of America's country heritage... all at a fair price. The restaurant serves up delicious, home-style country food such as meatloaf and homemade chicken n' dumplins as well as its signature biscuits using an old family recipe. The authentic old country retail store is fun to shop and offers unique gifts and self-indulgences.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBRL) was established in 1969 in Lebanon, Tenn. and operates 603 company-owned locations in 42 states. Every Cracker Barrel unit is open seven days a week with hours Sunday through Thursday, 6 a.m. - 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 6 a.m. - 11 p.m. For more information, visit crackerbarrel.com.