It's a shame most comments here are superficially focusing on the rebrand when the point of the article is much more interesting. The push for hyper-reality or a simulacrum to provide a sense of belonging and nostalgia is interesting. The article somewhat blames this on the Internet but also calls out how the Nazis employed a similar nostalgia for a (fictional?) simpler time. I wonder if this is feeding a new need since the world started changing more rapidly since industrialization and a technological take-off or if this was always the case.

Agree, the meat of the article is quite interesting. Also worth noting that, IMO, covid boosted the amount of engagement with the simulacrum (there was nothing else to do for many!), and people haven't weaned off of it. Algorithms will gradient-descend you into it very gradually, and you'll convince yourself you're just "looking for the truth."

Personally, I'm trying to cultivate more unmediated experiences as much as possible. The world and people aren't really attuned to this as much...to say nothing of my own inertia! But I do think they are an important component to both finding contentment and a sense of sustainable calm.

It would have helped if the author had specified the particular instantiation of Cracker Barrel earlier in the article.

From outside the USA it's a name most associated with a brand of American cheddar cheese. A simulacron of cheese seemed intriguing. It took seven paragraphs until he dropped the hint that it's also a shop brand.