Cracker Barrel reported second-quarter revenue of $849.3 million, ahead of analyst estimates of $836.8 million but down 2.2% year on year, while adjusted earnings of $0.99 per share far exceeded the $0.17 consensus. The restaurant chain's adjusted EBITDA of $62.05 million beat estimates by 47.9%, and its operating margin rose to 1.5% from 0.5% a year earlier, though same-store sales growth slowed to 2.1% from 5.4%. The company guided to full-year revenue of $3.36 billion at the midpoint, 0.8% below analyst estimates, but projected EBITDA of $190 million for the upcoming financial year 2027, above the $177.7 million consensus. CEO Dave Deno, who recently stepped into the role, credited food quality and guest experience improvements, particularly at breakfast, along with operational gains in store execution, and said future growth will rely on doing fewer things better. Cracker Barrel ended the quarter with 655 locations, down from 725 a year earlier, and its Cracker Barrel Rewards loyalty program now exceeds 12.5 million members, accounting for over 40% of tracked sales.
Cracker Barrel Old Country StoreQ2 revenue and adjusted EPS of $0.99 far beat the $0.17 consensus, with EBITDA beating by 47.9% and margin up to 1.5%.
