Woodhouse shares insight into Cracker Barrel success with local business leaders

Michael A. Woodhouse, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, believes the reason this is such a popular dining destination is that the company has been in the business of “pleasing people for generations.”

 

Woodhouse shared his insight on leading a successful organization with more than 400 business leaders at the Nashville Business Breakfast Wednesday.

 

“From the very beginning of this company we have insisted on serving quality food and practicing good customer service. Our mission is to please people. It’s a challenge to run a business like this, but we just try to focus our daily business on treating our guests well. We want Cracker Barrel to be a safe haven for travelers and customers,” said Woodhouse.

 

Woodhouse said that good employees are key to carrying out the company’s mission.

 

“We share our brand promise with all of our employees,” said Woodhouse. “How we train our employees is very important. The depth and the quality of the training is key. They are trained not only in how to provide good customer service, but also to ensure that we use quality ingredients and serve quality products.”

 

Cracker Barrel, headquartered in Lebanon, Tenn., consistently outperforms its peers, said Woodhouse. The company’s net sales were more than $2.3 billion last year. There are 594 company-owned units in 41 states operated by approximately 70,000 employees.

 

“We feel very positive about the future. We have a clear strategic direction. We’ve weathered many storms and remained strong in our 40 years of operation. The company was built on good country cooking. But it’s important to adjust what we do to remain relevant,” said Woodhouse.

 

With more than 25 years of experience as an officer in the restaurant and retail industries, Woodhouse joined the organization as senior vice president of finance and CFO for Cracker Barrel in 1995 and assumed positions of increasing responsibility over the years, including chief executive officer of Cracker Barrel in 2001 and chairman of the board in 2004. Before coming to Cracker Barrel, he was employed with DAKA International from 1993 to 1995 where he was senior vice president and CFO. Mike has held several other senior positions in the restaurant industry since 1981 including executive vice president and CFO of S&A Restaurant Corporation and executive vice president and CFO of TGI Friday’s, Inc. 

 

The Nashville Business Breakfast is a quarterly series featuring local business leaders presented by Lipscomb University and the Nashville Business Journal.

 

Past speakers include Carlos Tavares, chairman, Nissan Motor Company's Management Committee-Americas; Mark Emkes, CEO of Bridgestone Americas; Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson; and Kix Brooks, former chairman of the Country Music Association.