A Cracker Barrel may be opening in Columbus.
On Monday, a job listing at careerbuilder.com popped up stating the popular restaurant chain was looking to hire a manager for a location in Columbus. The posting gave no indication as to when the restaurant might open or where it might be located.
Contacted on Tuesday morning, Kenny Wiegel, city building inspector, told The Dispatch his office has not received any applications for construction permits involving Cracker Barrel.
The Tennessee-based restaurant chain did not respond Tuesday to a message from The Dispatch.
Cracker Barrel, a rustic-themed restaurant and gift shop, is “known for providing a friendly home away from home atmosphere,” according to its corporate website. The first Cracker Barrel Old Country Store opened in Lebanon, Tennessee, in 1969. There are more than 590 across the U.S. today, according to the corporate website.
This isn’t the first time Cracker Barrel rumors have come to the Golden Triangle.
In April 2013, several media outlets — including this newspaper — reported that the chain was close to opening a Columbus location. At the time, it was believed that a Cracker Barrel was going to be built on approximately 2.5 acres along 18th Avenue North, beside Smith Landscaping and The Greenhouse. Those plans never materialized, however.
According to the corporate website, one of the latest Cracker Barrels to open was in Corinth, which opened in early June.
William Browning was managing editor for The Dispatch until June 2016.
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