That controversy has been so funny. Cracker Barrel was never a "general store". It was always a restaurant. A "general store" is not a restaurant. It's a small retail outlet that sells most of the things a farmer needs.

The "lots of stuff on the walls" thing was popular once, from the Hungry Hunter to Banana Republic to the Hard Rock Cafe. It's kind of over.

In Silicon Valley and vicinity, we can see some real general stores.

San Gregorio CA used to have a real general store, serving a hard to reach agricultural area of San Mateo County. They still have something called that. But it's now a tourist kitsch outlet with live music on weekends.

Half Moon Bay Feed and Fuel is for real. Stuck on a tourist street, they have tourist stuff in the front. Towards the back it's gear and feed for horses, cattle and poultry. They sell live chicks, the people behind the counter all ride horses, and you can pull up out back and have feed loaded. Good collection of shovels, buckets, and horse tack.

Peninsula Feed Store in San Carlos is also for real. They recently had an open box of "superworms" squirming around on the counter for customers to admire and buy. The usual big racks of feed sacks are there, and they deliver. They, too, sell live chicks. Feed prices are OK, shavings are overpriced. Some tools, not many, since there's a Home Depot and a OSH nearby.

Cracker Barrel was never a real general store like that.

> Cracker Barrel was never a "general store". It was always a restaurant. A "general store" is not a restaurant. It's a small retail outlet that sells most of the things a farmer needs.

Yeah but how many restaurants sold real leather bullwhips to kids (in the 90s)?