Not Outback Or LongHorn — This Steakhouse Was Once Cracker Barrel's Sister Chain

Although Cracker Barrel is recognizable on its own, it's not the type of chain that most picture buying up other brands and steakhouses. The restaurant likes to project a humble, old-timey image (that ill-fated remodel notwithstanding), so assembling a corporate empire of subsidiary brands feels a little strange for the country diner. However, Cracker Barrel has occasionally tried to spread its wings. In 2019, the company acquired Maple Street Biscuit Company as it tried to expand into the fast casual world. And, for a brief time in the early 2000s, Logan's Roadhouse was once a sister chain.

Logan's Roadhouse is a midsized chain that falls into the LongHorn or Texas Roadhouse realm of affordable, country-themed steakhouses, so it's understandable why it would seem like a complimentary business to Cracker Barrel. The chain was purchased by Cracker Barrel in 1999 when it had only 45 locations in 12 states. At the time, the restaurant brand was in the process of reorganizing into a holding company and clearly looking to expand.

However, Logan's didn't last too long with Cracker Barrel. CBRL Group (which later became Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.) unloaded it in 2006 after barely more than a half-decade of ownership. Yet, it hadn't been idle during that time. When the steakhouse was eventually sold, it had expanded to 168 locations across 20 states. Cracker Barrel also sold the brand for $486 million to a private equity firm, more than $300 million more than it had paid just six years before.

Today, Logan's Roadhouse has somewhere around 130 locations nationwide, mostly stationed in the eastern half of the country. Considering that it has shrunk from 20 years ago, it won't come as a surprise to learn Logan's has had its ups and downs since its Cracker Barrel days. After its purchase from a private equity group in 2006, Logan's Roadhouse fell into the hands of several different owners. That first private equity trio sold it in 2010 to another private equity firm, prompting an era of peak expansion, resulting in Logan's hitting over 250 locations.

However, things quickly went sideways. The slowdown in casual dining during the 2010s hit Logan's Roadhouse hard right as the company was trying to expand. The steakhouse ended up declaring bankruptcy in 2016 due to a large amount of debt. It was sold for a third time since Cracker Barrel passed it off to CraftWorks Restaurants & Breweries in 2018. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic bankrupted CraftWorks in 2020, prompting another sale to SPB Hospitality. Then, in 2026, Logan's Roadhouse was sold to its current owner, SSCP Management, making it the sister chain of CiCi's Pizza and Corner Bakery.

While Logan's Roadhouse has had a tough run since Cracker Barrel, it does have one important thing going for it: customer loyalty. While sales dropped after the pandemic, a turnaround plan to improve quality has seen some payoff. Logan's topped a survey of customer satisfaction in casual dining done by Market Force last year, even beating out powerhouse Texas Roadhouse. It may have been a tough decade or two for the chain, but Logan's Roadhouse is far from done.