<Tr> <Th> Number of employees </Th> <Td> approx . 73,000 at July 29, 2016 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Website </Th> <Td> www.crackerbarrel.com </Td> </Tr> <P> Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. is an American chain of combined restaurant and gift stores with a Southern country theme . The company was founded by Dan Evins in 1969; its first store was in Lebanon, Tennessee . The corporate offices are located at a different facility in the same city . The chain's stores were at first positioned near Interstate highway exits in the Southeastern and Midwestern United States, but has expanded across the country during the 1990s and 2000s . As of September 18, 2012, the chain operates 650 stores in 45 states . </P> <P> Cracker Barrel's menu is based on traditional Southern cuisine, with appearance and decor designed to resemble an old - fashioned general store . Each restaurant features a front porch lined with wooden rocking chairs, a stone fireplace, and decorative artifacts from the local area . Cracker Barrel is known for its partnerships with country music performers . It has received attention for its charitable activities, such as its assistance of victims of Hurricane Katrina and injured war veterans . Employees there wear a choice of either white, yellow, blue or pink shirts . </P>

Where was the first cracker barrel restaurant built