Cracker Barrel's Stock Soars as Surprise Profit Points to Progress in Its Turnaround

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Cracker Barrel's stock is soaring on signs of progress in its turnaround efforts.

Shares of Cracker Barrel (CBRL) were up over 25% in recent trading, a day after the restaurant operator posted a surprise profit and lifted its outlook for the full year. Cracker Barrel reported $797.37 million in sales during its fiscal third quarter, down 3% year-over-year but a smaller decline than analysts expected, with adjusted earnings per share of 29 cents, when analysts had called for a loss.1

The company also raised its full-year revenue forecast to $3.27 billion to $3.3 billion, up from $3.24 billion to $3.27 billion previously, as CEO Julie Masino said the company is "well-positioned to sustain this new momentum."

With Wednesday's gains, Cracker Barrel shares are up more than 80% since the start of the year, but still about 17% off where they were a year ago.

The stronger-than-expected performance from Cracker Barrel could be taken as an encouraging sign for the company's turnaround after the stock slumped last year.

Masino said during Tuesday's earnings call that the chain is introducing new menu items and "leaning into value" to draw in new customers, per an AlphaSense transcript.

The company is still recovering from a difficult 2025 after an unsuccessful rebranding effort and a decline in traffic to its restaurants and stores. Cracker Barrel has laid out plans to drive a sales recovery, including soliciting feedback from loyal customers, and boosting its marketing spend while making some changes at the executive level.

The stock lost just over half of its value in 2025, hitting its lowest point in more than a decade near the end of last year.

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