Why Those Wonderfully Cheap Cracker Barrel Prices Are Actually a Gut Punch to New England

Who hasn't heard of Cracker Barrel, known for its homemade, massive breakfasts, and a warm welcome when you arrive?

For me, and I think for many, it's a favorite for grandparents and families who want a less expensive yet huge breakfast, as well as the perfect road trip stop.  Those tall Cracker Barrel signs dot the highways and byways across the country, offering that hometown classic comfort food.

Even the rocking chairs lining the wrap-around wooden entrances beckon, along with the cute country store.

So are you ready?  I stumbled upon this article in Mashed, and it spilled the goods on why Cracker Barrel can keep its prices lower than most.  The first reason was truly a punch in the gut if you live in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont.

Cracker Barrel's syrup isn't 100% pure maple syrup!  What the what?!?  How dare they, in the maple syrup capital of the country?

Clearly, that's a bit selfish-sounding on my part, considering maple syrup holds a special place for us in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont.  Vermont is the number one producer of maple syrup, according to Statista, followed by New York, Maine, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, then New Hampshire. So, anything not pure is basically blasphemous.

Cracker Barrel, according to Mashed, mixes maple syrup with sugar cane syrup, and even the label confirms this on the Cracker Barrel syrup bottle.  It literally says that it's 55% pure maple syrup and 45% sugarcane syrup.

Pure maple syrup is pricey as well, considering it takes about 40 gallons of sap to produce one gallon, according to Penn State. So, mixing it with sugarcane syrup is one key way that Cracker Barrel keeps its costs down, passing that on to you and me.

Click here for the other 10 reasons why Cracker Barrel is so cheap.