A server at the Cracker Barrel in South Portland holds a fried haddock dinner, a Reuben, mushroom braised pot roast and steak-cut onion rings in this 2011 photo. The restaurant — Maine’s only Cracker Barrel location — has closed, the chain confirmed Tuesday. Gordon Chibroski/Portland Press Herald, file
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in South Portland has closed permanently, the company’s media relations team confirmed Tuesday.
“It is not uncommon for a store’s traffic patterns and volumes to change over time, and we saw this occur in South Portland coming out of the pandemic,” a Cracker Barrel spokesperson said in an email. “Despite the strong efforts of our employees, our South Portland store was unable to overcome these and other challenges.”
Cracker Barrel, specializing in folksy, Southern-style comfort food, had been at 357 Maine Mall Road for close to 15 years.
The Tennessee-based company has more than 650 restaurants around the country, though its South Portland location was the only one in Maine.
“The decision to close a store is never one we take lightly, and we will assist our impacted employees and managers during the transition, including offering them employment at other locations,” the company said.
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