Every restaurant chain strives to provide the best consumer experience in the industry, but only a select few earn the Technomic Chain Restaurant Consumers’ Choice Award. The 2016 Awards were handed out Jan. 14 at the Consumer Insights Planning Program Conference in Newport Beach, California.
Taking home the top prize this year in the “Provides Value through Service” full service category was the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store chain of restaurants and shops. Founded in 1969, Cracker Barrel has built its brand on a home-style atmosphere in both its dining and shopping experiences. The company now consists of 635 locations in 42 states. Cracker Barrel has won three Consumers’ Choice Awards in four years.
“Cracker Barrel’s commitment to excellence is driven by our mission of Pleasing People,” said Nick Flanagan, Cracker Barrel’s Senior VP of Restaurant and Retail Operations. “We promise guests a friendly, home-away-from-home, where they can relax, enjoy real home-style food and be cared for like family. Since 2013, Cracker Barrel has been voted the top full service restaurant in the Consumers’ Choice Awards’ ‘Pleasant, Friendly Service,’ ‘Food and Beverage,’ and ‘Value Through Service’ categories, which is a testament to our 72,000 employees who bring our mission to life every day.”
The Consumers’ Choice Awards were presented by Technomic, a top research company specializing in the food industry. The results are generated by a survey of over 100,000 nationwide. The subjects are asked to rate more than 120 restaurant chains on 60 components of the customer experience. From there, winners are chosen in multiple categories divided into Quick Service, Fast Casual, and Full Service divisions.
In addition to “Provides Value through Service,” the restaurants are judged by criteria such as “Best Food Quality,” “Intent to Return,” and “Socially Responsible.”
When asked to provide details on Cracker Barrel’s impressive scores, those surveyed made note of Cracker Barrel’s engaging service team.
“Consumers give Cracker Barrel credit for its friendly and polite servers,” said Darren Tristano, President of Technomic. “When we asked why they gave high ratings for their visit, many of our respondents talked about how they always make people feel at home.”