Cracker Barrel Stock News Sheds Light on State of Casual Dining Restaurants

Cracker Barrel Stock news wasn’t particularly positive following last week’s earnings. Yet, the stock ended the day, up more than 6%.

The company posted Q3 revenues of $817 million.  Analysts were expecting $820.6 million. Not a huge miss, but still not so great.  Overall, I wouldn’t say Q3 earnings were particularly horrible. Although I do question the long-term value of Cracker Barrel.

The stock has been on a steady decline for more than three years now, and investors need to take a step back and not just look at the stock, but the intrinsic value of casual dining restaurants. 

Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI), which owns the LongHorn Steakhouse and Olive Garden chains, recently saw its first same-store sales decline since COVID.  And inflationary pressures have definitely had an impact on the dining industry, overall. 

A combination of labor shortages and higher prices have made “dining out” less attractive.  And it’s unlikely prices will decrease anytime soon.  So how does a restaurant chain like Cracker Barrel survive?

Cracker Barrel Stock News Doesn’t Look Great

CEO Julie Felss Masino is clearly concerned.  She even went so far as to say that the brand is no longer relevant and needs a new strategy. This new strategy includes:

• Experimenting with new menu items
• Adjusting prices
• Remodeling its restaurants

Will that be enough?  If people are finding it harder and harder to afford dining out, new menu items and restaurant remodels won’t matter.  The key is likely pricing adjustments.  After all, people don’t go to Cracker Barrel for the ambience.  They go for convenience.  And convenience can easily be trumped by price. 

To be honest, unless people feel comfortable going out to eat again, as they try to battle their own struggles with inflation, I don’t think investing in these types of restaurants is a safe bet.  And the upside seems quite limited, too. 

Of course, if you love Cracker Barrel (NASDAQ: CBRL), and you believe that management can right the ship, don’t let me stop you from owning the stock.  But I just don’t see how there’s going to be much positive Cracker Barrel stock news anytime soon.  Which is why I’ll continue to watch this one from the sidelines while I focus more on the stocks that’ll give me a lot more upside potential with far less risk. 

Like this under-the-radar nuclear fuel stock that is successfully capitalizing on the new SMR market.

If you’re unfamiliar, SMRs, also known as small nuclear reactors, represent the next evolution of nuclear power.  And they’re far superior to the conventional nuclear power plants we use today.  They enjoy lower capital costs, greater scalability, less expensive to maintain, and they’re far safer and more secure than traditional nuclear power plants. 

I should also point out that the fuel needed for these SMRs, which is virtually monopolized by this one nuclear fuel company, is exceptionally cheap to produce. It’s 40,835 times more powerful than natural gas, 67,389 times more potent than gasoline, and it’s completely emission-free.

I don’t care if you think Cracker Barrel makes the best country fried steak on the planet.  From an investment perspective, the demand for a new generation of new nuclear fuel is far more valuable than the demand for comfort food from a casual dining restaurant chain.  This isn’t a criticism of Cracker Barrel.  It’s merely an observation of truth.  

Bottom line: I have no feelings one way or the other for Cracker Barrel.  But I do have a hefty appetite for money.  And if you do, too, I strongly suggest you buy some shares of this nuclear fuel stock now.

To a new way of life and a new generation of wealth…

Jeff Siegel

Check us out on YouTube!

@JeffSiegel on Twitter

Jeff is the founder and managing editor of Green Chip Stocks. For more on Jeff, go to his editor’s page.

Want to hear more from Jeff? Sign up to receive emails directly from him ranging from market commentaries to opportunities that he has his eye on.