The Cracker Barrel restaurant in Bend has closed down, citing businesses struggles from the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the factors. It’s one of three Oregon locations closing.
A sign on the doors and the window of the north Bend location reads “This Location Is Now Closed.”
The company provided a statement to Central Oregon Daily News.
“As a standard course of business, we continually evaluate the performance of our stores, using various criteria to ensure we are meeting the needs of our guests and our business,” the company said in a statement. “With that, we are saddened that we have been unable to overcome the impact the pandemic had on our business and have made the difficult decision to close the Bend location. The decision to close a store is never one we take lightly, and our focus right now is in assisting our impacted employees during this transition.
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“We extend our sincere thanks to our employees who worked so hard to keep our fireplace glowing and to the guests who have dined with us, celebrated with us, and made us part of their community. We look forward to reconnecting with them at other times at nearby Cracker Barrels in the future,” the company continues.
The restaurant opened in February 2019. At the time, the company said it was hoping to fill 175 full-time and part-time jobs. But the company confirms the closure will affect 29 employees, including 15 full-time.
Portland news outlets also report that the two Cracker Barrel locations in the Rose City are also closing. That leaves Medford as the only location in Oregon with a Cracker Barrel.
In addition to its food, Cracker Barrel is known for the pioneer-feel memorabilia inside its restaurants as well as its store that often will feature books, clothing, home decor and more — often paying homage to the region the restaurant is located in.
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