We all have that one restaurant chain that reminds us of home no matter where we are and brings back multiple great family memories from our childhood.
For those who grew up in the South, this restaurant became our home away from home. Even if we were on the opposite side of the country, we immediately got this cozy feeling upon entering this establishment.
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Maybe it's the smell of its all-day breakfast with biscuits' n' gravy, country fried steak, and cheesy grits, or perhaps it's the Southern country-themed gift shop, where we could get lost in for hours and come out buying more things than we initially intended to.
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Either way, Cracker Barrel is a comfort staple in its food and atmosphere.
However, this restaurant chain might have just tarnished its reputation as a renowned Southern hospitality establishment after allegedly mistreating a group of customers.
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Cracker Barrel accused of refusing service to disabled students and staff members
Earlier this month, seven special education staff members and eleven students with disabilities from Dr. James Craik Elementary School in the Charles County Public School District claimed that the restaurant staff at a Cracker Barrel location in Waldorf, Maryland, refused to provide them with in-restaurant service.
Allegedly, during a lunch break while on a community-based instruction outing that aims to help students with special needs practice skills learned in the classroom by applying them to real life, Cracker Barrel's restaurant staff mistreated the group and made them wait over an hour for seating. Ultimately, they placed a to-go order and were given their meals in takeout boxes.
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On Saturday, Cracker Barrel apologized for any "misunderstanding and misperceptions," vowing to make things right. Yet, it still denied that the restaurant's employees discriminated against the students because of their disabilities. Instead, the restaurant chain claimed that the location didn't have enough staff to accommodate the 18-person group.
"Our missteps last week were unfortunate but were unrelated to the students' capabilities," Cracker Barrel said in a statement. "They were due to our inability to accommodate a party of 18 that arrived when we were facing unexpected staffing issues and had partially closed our second dining room."
The special education superintendent writes a letter challenging Cracker Barrel's claims
However, Charles County Public Schools Superintendent Maria Navarro claimed in a letter to the community that the Cracker Barrel (CBRL) employees were aware of the visit because the school's staff had made a reservation before the party's arrival. She also insisted that she was told no reservations would be necessary.
A parent claimed that the large group proposed splitting into smaller groups to make the seating easier for the staff, but was st. However, they were seated despite witnessing other parties seated after they arrived.
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Additionally, Navarro said the Charles County Public Schools special education staff offered to train restaurant officials in disability awareness after the incident to prevent future issues like this from occurring again.
"The alleged treatment of CCPS students and staff at Cracker Barrel is one that no one should experience. However, it is encouraging to learn that the district manager said the business would be willing to work with CCPS to do better," said Navarro in the letter.
The restaurant officials have also said that they are open to speaking with the parents of the students who visited the restaurant.
Navarro ended the letter by stating that other retailers and restaurants have reached out to offer their locations for future sites for the unique needs program.
Cracker Barrel and its history of discrimination allegations
However, this is not the first time Cracker Barrel has faced allegations of discriminatory actions against customers.
In 2004, Cracker Barrel paid $8.7 million to settle allegations that the restaurant chain mistreated and discriminated against black customers and employees.
Allegedly, over 40 plaintiffs in 16 states were denied service, seated in segregated areas, called racial slurs, and served food from the trash. Multiple employees also claimed that they were segregated from their white co-workers and were given less desirable roles at work.
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