Southeast
Cracker Barrel fan's viral TikTok sparks backlash over restaurant makeover
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store restaurants have been around since 1969, nestled strategically off interstates to attract drivers with their convenience, southern hospitality, range of food options and affordable menu prices.
But Cracker Barrel may be losing its charm amid a physical makeover, according to some.
Rachel Love, a 38-year-old Tennessee resident and self-proclaimed Cracker Barrel fan, recently caught the restaurant chain’s attention with her social media video.
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“When Cracker Barrel took away the last piece of nostalgia you had left,” Love captioned in a TikTok video last month as she showed the inside of an updated location. (See the video at the top of this article.)
The post has amassed thousands of comments from other Cracker Barrel lovers, many of whom disapprove of the new look and prefer the original concept.
Rachel Love shared a TikTok video showing the changes to the walls of a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Tennessee. (Rachel Love/@rachelallthelove)
Love told Fox News Digital she was in “shock” when she first saw the white walls and giant mural on the side of the restaurant near her parents’ house.
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“I thought they were priming it to paint it brown again,” she said.
The interior décor had also been altered.
A Cracker Barrel location in Tennessee is painted white with murals on the side of the building. (Rachel Love)
“There’s no antiques on the wall,” Love said. “The only antiques they have were on the fireplace mantle.”
‘Very transparent’
Cracker Barrel chief marketing officer Sarah Moore said all the things that people love about the Tennessee restaurant chain aren’t going away.
“Over the past year, we have been very transparent about our transformation platform,” Moore told Fox News Digital. “One of our strategies is really centered on that physical guest experience.”
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Cracker Barrel has been testing “various levels of remodels,” Moore told Fox News Digital.
“It’s all about evolution with intentionality,” she said. “We’ve been very transparent about our goal of making our stores feel brighter and even more welcoming than they already are, while maintaining that country hospitality and charm that we’re known for.”
Cracker Barrel has been in business since 1969, but it is undergoing changes. (Tim Boyle/Getty Images)
That includes the brand’s signature rocking chairs and peg games.
“None of that is going away,” Moore said. “We’re just looking at ways to freshen up the experience so that we can open our door a bit wider for more guests.”
Love said she’s been contacted by Cracker Barrel employees wishing to remain anonymous who said the souvenir store – a popular way for customers to pass the time while waiting for a table – is part of the revamp.
Moore said there’s no reason to worry.
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“The retail store is such a differentiator for us. It is such an important part of our overall experience. Things of that nature, the things that make us truly who we are — that’s not changing.”
“Thank you for loving Cracker Barrel as much as we do!”
Still, Love’s video created such buzz that Cracker Barrel reached out with a peace offering that included a gift basket full of knickknacks.
“Hi Rachel! Just a little something to say thank you for loving Cracker Barrel as much as we do! Your Friends, Cracker Barrel,” a note on the card read.
Rachel Love shows off the letter she received from Cracker Barrel in response to her viral TikTok video. (Fox News Digital)
Moore said Cracker Barrel listens to its customers.
“What the guests asked for are things like spaces that feel brighter, that feel less cluttered, more booth seating, more seating options, so our guests are more comfortable while they’re dining with us,” she said.
‘Menu evolution’
Love said she believes the quality of the food has declined in recent years. “I think they’re trying to save on the food costs,” she said.
Cracker Barrel added alcohol a few years ago – something Love said wasn’t necessary.
“If I’m out at a nice dinner, I’ll drink,” she said. “I’m not going to Cracker Barrel to drink.”
Guests can also expect more menu changes. “Similar to our remodel strategy, menu evolution has also been a clear pillar within our transformation framework,” Moore told Fox News Digital.
Cracker Barrel is “doubling down on our breakfast, which is a strength for us, but also expanding our dinner offerings.”
The “campfire” meals, absent since 2018, recently returned to the menu, along with the all-new Campfire Shrimp Skillet, “an incredible value,” Moore said.
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“I don’t think we get enough credit for the value that we offer,” Moore said. “We offer so many ways to find value in your own way when you come to Cracker Barrel. If you think about it, our average check is $14 compared to $27 for the casual dining industry. Delicious food in abundance has always been part of our value equation.”
Cracker Barrel’s Campfire Shrimp Skillet is new to the menu in 2025. (Cracker Barrel)
Love hopes the responses to her video will lead Cracker Barrel to tamp down on the cosmetic changes and focus more on the food.
“Prepare it with love like it used to be. That’s where it all starts,” she said. “The food has to get better. Just adding new options is not going to change how people feel about it.”
Cracker Barrel, however, suggested it has an eye on the future while recognizing its past.
“Everything we’re doing is deeply rooted in who we are,” Moore said. “It’s just, how do we carry forward those things that have made us so beloved for the last 55 years? How do we set up for the next 55 years?”
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Southeast
High school teacher arrested in alleged sex case involving student
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A Georgia high school teacher was arrested Wednesday after allegations of inappropriate contact between a teacher and a minor student surfaced at Lee County High School.
Danielle Weaver, 29, of Leesburg, is charged with child molestation and improper sexual contact by an employee, agent or foster parent, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI).
Lee County High School requested the Leesburg Police Department investigate the allegations on Feb. 3, and the GBI was called to assist the following day.
Danielle Weaver, 29, of Leesburg, Ga., is charged with child molestation and improper sexual contact by an employee. (Lee County Sheriff’s Office)
Investigators identified Weaver as the “subject,” and identified the victim as a student under 18 years old at Lee County High School, according to officials.
GBI agents continued the investigation along with the Leesburg Police Department, and arrest warrants were obtained for Weaver on Tuesday.
A Google Maps street view photo of Lee County High School in Leesburg, Ga. (Google Maps)
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Weaver turned herself in to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, and was later released on bond, according to a report from WALB News.
This investigation is active and ongoing, according to the GBI.
The incident allegedly happened at a high school in Georgia. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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Once complete, the case file will be given to the Southwestern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
Leesburg is located in South Georgia, and is about an hour and a half north of Tallahassee, Florida.
Lee County High School’s communications team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Southeast
Federal court clears way for Ten Commandments to be displayed in Louisiana public school classrooms
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A federal appeals court cleared the way Friday for a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, lifting a lower court block and reigniting debate over religion in public education.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit voted 12-6 to lift a block first imposed in 2024, finding it was too early to determine the constitutionality of the law. Critics argue the requirement violates the separation of church and state, while supporters say the Ten Commandments are historical and foundational to U.S. law.
The court said in the majority opinion that it was unclear how schools would display the poster-sized materials, noting that the law allows additional content, like the Mayflower Compact or the Declaration of Independence, to appear alongside the Ten Commandments.
The majority wrote that there were not enough facts to “permit judicial judgment rather than speculation” when evaluating potential First Amendment concerns.
A federal appeals court on Friday lifted a lower court block on Louisiana’s Ten Commandments classroom law, bringing the measure closer to taking effect. (John Bazemore/AP)
In a concurring opinion, Circuit Judge James Ho, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, wrote that the law was constitutional and “consistent with our founding traditions.”
“It is fully consistent with the Constitution, and what’s more, it reinforces our Founders’ firm belief that the children of America should be educated about the religious foundations and traditions of our country,” Ho said, adding that the law “affirms our Nation’s highest and most noble traditions.”
Circuit Judge James L. Dennis, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, wrote in a dissenting opinion that displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms would amount to “exposing children to government‑endorsed religion in a setting of compulsory attendance.”
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A federal appeals court ruling on Feb. 20 allows Louisiana’s Ten Commandments classroom mandate to proceed for now. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)
“That is precisely the kind of establishment the Framers anticipated and sought to prevent,” he added.
The ACLU of Louisiana and other groups representing the plaintiffs said they would pursue additional legal challenges to block the law.
“Today’s ruling is extremely disappointing and would unnecessarily force Louisiana’s public school families into a game of constitutional whack-a-mole in every school district,” the groups wrote in a joint-statement. “Longstanding judicial precedent makes clear that our clients need not submit to the very harms they are seeking to prevent before taking legal action to protect their rights.”
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Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry praised the appeals court decision on Feb. 20 allowing the Ten Commandments classroom law to move forward. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, file)
Republican Gov. Jeff Landry on Friday praised the court’s decision, writing on Facebook, “Common sense is making a comeback!”
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill issued a statement following the ruling, saying schools “should follow the law.”
“Don’t kill or steal shouldn’t be controversial. My office has issued clear guidance to our public schools on how to comply with the law, and we have created multiple examples of posters demonstrating how it can be applied constitutionally,” she said.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said schools should follow the Ten Commandments display law after a federal appeals court lifted a lower court block on Feb. 20. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Joseph Davis, an attorney representing Louisiana in the case, celebrated the court’s decision.
“If the ACLU had its way, every trace of religion would be scrubbed from the fabric of our public life,” he said in a statement. “That position is at odds with our nation’s traditions and our Constitution. We’re glad the Fifth Circuit has allowed Louisiana to display the Ten Commandments in its public school classrooms.”
Friday’s ruling came after the full court agreed to reconsider the case, months after a three-judge panel ruled the Louisiana law unconstitutional.
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A similar law in Arkansas faces a federal court challenge, while Texas implemented its own Ten Commandments classroom requirement last year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Southeast
Guy Fieri once had ‘nothing else to sign’ on the beach but postcards; now, he’s built a food TV empire
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MIAMI BEACH – Twenty years ago, a contestant named Guy Fieri on the second season of what was then “The Next Food Network Star” showed up at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival with little more than spiked hair and ambition.
“He came to that festival that year and was walking around signing postcards because he had nothing else to sign,” recalled Lee Brian Schrager, founder of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival and its New York City counterpart.
Today, Fieri is one of the most recognizable faces in food on television. But, in 2006, he was just another up-and-comer working a crowd on the sand.
Speaking to “Fox & Friends” from Miami Beach, Florida, Friday morning, Fieri said he wasn’t chasing TV fame.
“I was doing what I wanted to do,” he told Steve Doocy while walking the beach. “I wanted to be a great dad. I wanted to be a great husband. I wanted to be a chef. I wanted to own my own restaurant. So, I had accomplished the things I wanted in life and never really saw the other side of it.”
South Beach Wine & Food Festival founder Lee Brian Schrager and celebrity chef Guy Fieri pose for a photograph back in 2009. (South Beach Wine & Food Festival)
Two decades later, Fieri still comes back.
“He’s been part of our festival every year since he won ‘Food Network Star,’” Schrager told Fox News Digital.
The knack for spotting and elevating talent is part of the festival’s legacy as it marks its 25th year in Miami Beach.
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Schrager recalled a similar instinct with Giada De Laurentiis. When her agent suggested she might be ready the following year, Schrager pushed back.
“I said, ‘I don’t want her next year. I want her this year so she’ll remember where she got her big start,’” Schrager said.
Giada De Laurentiis, pictured here in 2015, was another celebrity chef who got her start at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. (Manny Hernandez/Getty Images)
Yet the festival doesn’t claim to have created celebrity chefs.
“We don’t take responsibility for turning anyone into a superstar,” Schrager told Fox News Digital. “We do take some credit for giving them a platform and putting them in front of their fans.”
“Rock stars became chefs and chefs became rock stars.”
Over the past 20 years, the platform has grown alongside the broader transformation of food culture.
“Rock stars became chefs and chefs became rock stars,” Schrager said.
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What began as a one-day wine event on the campus of Florida International University evolved after Schrager was tasked with reimagining it. His directive was to “make it better — not bigger, but better.”
Schrager had a solution.
The South Beach Wine & Food Festival is where chefs like Fieri “became rock stars,” said Schrager, founder of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. (Jason Koerner/Getty Images)
“Move it to the beach, partner with the Food Network, get all their celebrities and make it more than just local,” Schrager said.
Today, the festival draws marquee names from the culinary world as well as from music and entertainment. Among those who showed up for Thursday night’s Burger Bash event were comedian Bert Kreischer and Cloud 23 hot sauce founder Brooklyn Peltz Beckham.
Chefs don’t get paid for appearances at the festival.
“If it’s somebody new, the first question out of their agent’s mouth is, ‘Oh, what’s the honorarium? What’s the fee?’ I’m like, ‘Zero,’” Schrager said.
Brooklyn Peltz Beckham is among the celebrities to attend the food festival for free. (Scott Roth/Invision/AP)
The model works, Schrager said, because the festival operates as a nonprofit benefiting FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management.
“Everyone’s doing it to support the cause, or they’re doing it because they want to do it,” Schrager said. “It’s not a bad place to be in the middle of winter.”
Schrager, left, appears along with Rachael Ray and Brooklyn Peltz Beckham onstage at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival’s Burger Bash. (Scott Roth/Invision/AP)
The festival has raised more than $50 million for student scholarships.
“To me, that’s why we do it,” Schrager said.
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Along the way, the festival has outlasted many imitators and weathered shifting food trends by staying nimble.
“We listened to the consumers,” Schrager said.
Fieri, left, and a shirtless Bert Kreischer share a moment onstage at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. (Jason Koerner/Getty Images)
“There was never any ego involved in this festival.”
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He added, “Our goal was never to be the biggest.”
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“It happens that we turned out to be the biggest, but being the best, or at least doing our best, has always been the most important to me.”
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