Cracker Barrel Employee Confirms Suspicions That The Staff Has A Code Word For Certain Types Of Customers

[craftsman 1,045]

 

 

The eccentric gift shop antique architecture crossover, home of amateur Southern cooking — Cracker Barrel. 

Whether you frequented the nationwide chain or it’s solely a nightmare in your childhood fever dreams, you’ve surely seen their company come up in media outlets over the past couple of months. 

Surely, they’re not being celebrated for their home-style recipes — rather, for their ignorant and distasteful employees who’ve been exposed on TikTok. 

 

One Cracker Barrel employee confirms they radio a specific code word when Black customers come in. 

In a TikTok from January 30, a Cracker Barrel employee is revealed spilling her store’s code word — that they allegedly used to signal that Black customers have arrived at the restaurant. 

“Cracker Barrel has a code word for Black people when they come in,” the employee says on camera, “The way we do it is we say ‘c—’ over the radio. Basically, we tell the back staff that there are Black people here.” 

A disgusting and appalling revelation — the Cracker Barrel employee gives no more reasoning or explanation for their undercover use of a slur as code. 

One Black TikToker confronted a Cracker Barrel employee over her discomfort with the alleged code word. 

While many Black TikTokers stitched the original video of the Cracker Barrel employee and shared their distaste, one TikToker took it upon themselves to go to the restaurant and confront someone directly. 

 

In a video from January 31, TikToker @goviralgeyer_bae stitched the original video of the employee and then added footage of her showing up at her own local restaurant. 

Walking into the store, she immediately received a dirty look from another white customer in the store — “Well, there’s the first look,” she whispers to her recording camera. 

“I got a question, have you seen those TikTok videos?” she asks as she approaches an employee in the store. 

Uncomfortably laughing, the employee immediately denies having heard anything about Cracker Barrel on TikTok. 

“When Black people come in here they [Cracker Barrel employees]  use a code word — ‘C—.’ Is that true?” she persistently asks. 

Continuing to deny any involvement or knowledge, the TikToker continues to press, but seemingly politely — “Are you sure, sugar?” she adds. 

“I came in here one time, and there was nobody but white people sitting in here,” she continues as the employee continues denying, “Everyone was staring at me and I haven’t come back since — I was uncomfortable. But, I just wanted to know if that was true.” 

 

Another ex-Cracker Barrel employee recalls her shock when she discovered managers were using ‘Canadians’ as code. 

Amidst the rumors and a definite revelation by a Cracker Barrel employee, TikToker @cinnamnhoney added to the conversation about employees using code words for POC customers. 

“Me, a hostess at Cracker Barrel, wondering how every employee knew a table was full of Canadians even though they didn’t have a telling accent,” she wrote in the subtitles of her now-deleted video shared last year. 

Panning onto the next slide, a similar narrative was revealed — “Canadian was a code word for Black people,” the subtitles read. 

 

Outside of just Cracker Barrel, comments reveal other restaurants that’ve used code words for customers. 

“I worked at TGIFriday,” one comment wrote under one of the TikTok videos, “Code there was ‘Canadians’ because they don’t tip. I was appalled and made a formal complaint. Racism is rampant in the service industry.” 

Not just in one comment, but in several more, ex-service industry employees agree that racism is not an isolated issue to just Cracker Barrel. Many share multiple instances where coworkers have used outrageous language to deliberately attack customers of color. 

“Absolutely ridiculous,” another reads, “I remember this as a host. They used to use ‘NIMS’. N-words in my sections. Some people don’t deserve even basic and common decency.” 

“I had a coworker tell me this when I worked at Olive Garden,” another person commented, ‘They were Canadian, I knew they wouldn’t tip.’ I was appalled when I learned what it meant.” 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/cracker-barrel-employee-confirms-suspicions-that-the-staff-has-a-code-word-for-certain-types-of-customers/ar-AA1766np?cvid=1a83cfe4d8554a29a9402e45fa642f68

[Alias Detective 1,388]

Canadian has been a term for blacks in prisons forever.

[TommyGavin 790]

I didn’t think blacks ever went to Cracker Barrel - Seriously Cracker is on point. 

[avoiding injuries 1,504]

When I was in college the majority of my friends and I were servers at a whole variety of bars and restaurants. Canadians was the universal term, and was used by black employees as well. 

[Hardcore troubadour 14,901]

They should tip like everyone else. Problem solved. 

[RLLD 4,143]

What is the word? I am not following here.....

[avoiding injuries 1,504]

12 minutes ago, RLLD said:

What is the word? I am not following here.....

Canadian. I’m not sure why they didn’t print the word, but I looked up a different article that had the same story with the word included. 
 

https://www.newsweek.com/cracker-barrel-employees-use-code-word-black-customers-ex-hostess-1692077

[5-Points 3,384]

They shouldn't be eating at Cracker Barrel in the first place. That's cultural appropriation.

 

 

 

 

[RLLD 4,143]

19 minutes ago, avoiding injuries said:

Canadian. I’m not sure why they didn’t print the word, but I looked up a different article that had the same story with the word included. 
 

https://www.newsweek.com/cracker-barrel-employees-use-code-word-black-customers-ex-hostess-1692077

I am sorry, I cannot tell if this is all some Onion thing where its a joke and I am just not getting it....

[avoiding injuries 1,504]

2 minutes ago, RLLD said:

I am sorry, I cannot tell if this is all some Onion thing where its a joke and I am just not getting it....

If you’ve never worked in the food service industry you’ve likely never heard about it. It’s been over 20 years since I last was, so I find it a little interesting that nothing appears to have changed over a couple decades. 

[RLLD 4,143]

2 minutes ago, avoiding injuries said:

If you’ve never worked in the food service industry you’ve likely never heard about it. It’s been over 20 years since I last was, so I find it a little interesting that nothing appears to have changed over a couple decades. 

SO then this is a real thing?  People refer to AA's as "Canadiens"?  I am guessing this is a "safe" way to point out their presence without being called out for being derogatory.....

[Alias Detective 1,388]

Just now, RLLD said:

SO then this is a real thing?  People refer to AA's as "Canadiens"?  I am guessing this is a "safe" way to point out their presence without being called out for being derogatory.....

Christ you are slow but you finally got there.  Lol.

[iam90sbaby 2,470]

3 minutes ago, RLLD said:

SO then this is a real thing?  People refer to AA's as "Canadiens"?  I am guessing this is a "safe" way to point out their presence without being called out for being derogatory.....

Mondays is better 

[avoiding injuries 1,504]

2 minutes ago, iam90sbaby said:

Mondays is better 

Yep, that was another, but used much less. A little more derogatory since nobody likes Monday’s. 

[MLCKAA 540]

Why is Cracker Barrel being singled out for bad press?

[wiffleball 4,788]

The entire service industry uses the same code word.

[Hardcore troubadour 14,901]

Paddy wagon.  They act like it’s only them.  

[Cdub100 3,824]

It's good to know when rude customers, who complain about everything and don't tip come in. Every single person who has worked in the service industry knows this. This is not a stereotype it's absolutely true. 

Just like we should provide black people training on how to act when dealing with police they should probably receive training on how to act at a restaurant. 

Oh well, diversity is our strength. 

[wiffleball 4,788]

Some of the things that Canadians are absolutely notorious for is that they will sit at a table for two three hours at a time. They are just flat out rude to staff. They're constantly trying to get something for nothing. And yeah, they tip for s***.

 

If you don't get the nicest treatment from staff? Blame your fellow canadians. 

[Engorgeous George 2,114]

Buggin Out

[5-Points 3,384]

12 minutes ago, Cdub100 said:

It's good to know when rude customers, who complain about everything and don't tip come in. Every single person who has worked in the service industry knows this. This is not a stereotype it's absolutely true. 

Just like we should provide black people training on how to act when dealing with police they should probably receive training on how to act at a restaurant. 

Oh well, diversity is our strength. 

And movie theaters. 

[Jeff Probst 59]

Yay more racism.

[dogcows 1,030]

3 hours ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

They should tip like everyone else. Problem solved. 

Got to get at least one racist post into every thread. What a winner.

[craftsman 1,045]

2 hours ago, RLLD said:

I am sorry, I cannot tell if this is all some Onion thing where its a joke and I am just not getting it....

The first place they were talking about used a word that started eith a 'c' and rhymed with 'moon'.

[crackattack 520]

I've never heard of this. I've also never worked in the food industry. Is this something all races say or just non black employees? 

[RLLD 4,143]

2 hours ago, Alias Detective said:

Christ you are slow but you finally got there.  Lol.

 

[craftsman 1,045]

2 hours ago, avoiding injuries said:

Canadian. I’m not sure why they didn’t print the word, but I looked up a different article that had the same story with the word included. 
 

https://www.newsweek.com/cracker-barrel-employees-use-code-word-black-customers-ex-hostess-1692077

The first place rhymed with 'moon'.

“The way we do it is we say ‘c—’ over the radio."

They used it in a video. 

[RLLD 4,143]

2 minutes ago, craftsman said:

The first place they were talking about used a word that started eith a 'c' and rhymed with 'moon'.

oooOOOOOOHHHhhhhh   Wow, people are really just bad....

[craftsman 1,045]

When I waited tables the sign was when the hostess would come over to the waiter and say "Sorry, there was no where else I could sit them."

[craftsman 1,045]

2 minutes ago, RLLD said:

oooOOOOOOHHHhhhhh   Wow, people are really just bad....

Yeah, not much of a CODE word really.

[Hardcore troubadour 14,901]

13 minutes ago, dogcows said:

Got to get at least one racist post into every thread. What a winner.

Oh, so if they tipped better people still wouldn’t want to serve them? It’s about the tipping, not their race, stupid. 

[Bert 1,128]

12 minutes ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

Oh, so if they tipped better people still wouldn’t want to serve them? It’s about the tipping, not their race, stupid. 

The constant biotching and complaining is also a huge factor.  I once had a woman ask me to replace the ice water because there was too much ice!!!

[Hardcore troubadour 14,901]

Every time tipping comes up on the board there is a general consensus that we should all tip. Why is one group exempt from criticism for not doing it? Most foreigners from Europe aren’t known to tip either. They get complained about as well. So go scratch with the racism cries. People want to get paid and they don’t care who pays them. 

[DonS 3,291]

8 minutes ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

Every time tipping comes up on the board there is a general consensus that we should all tip. Why is one group exempt from criticism for not doing it? Most foreigners from Europe aren’t known to tip either. They get complained about as well. So go scratch with the racism cries. People want to get paid and they don’t care who pays them. 

When I was waiter during college in Upstate NY the worst were the French Canadians.  If you ended up with them you knew you wouldn't be getting jack sh1t in terms of a tip.

 

[Hardcore troubadour 14,901]

Just now, DonS said:

When I was waiter during college in Upstate NY the worst were the French Canadians.  If you ended up with them you knew you wouldn't be getting jack sh1t in terms of a tip.

 

In the underrated movie Waiting, there’s a scene where the hostess gives the crazy waitress a table full of Europeans. She goes in the back and starts screaming “Foreigners, you gave me foreigners !”  And the hostess. Says she’s sorry, she had no choice. 

[DonS 3,291]

46 minutes ago, craftsman said:

Yeah, not much of a CODE word really.

Lol.  Yeah, not the most subtle of coded messages. 

[avoiding injuries 1,504]

3 hours ago, craftsman said:

The first place rhymed with 'moon'.

“The way we do it is we say ‘c—’ over the radio."

They used it in a video. 

Can we not type coon here? 
 

Test

[easilyscan 855]

2 hours ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

In the underrated movie Waiting, there’s a scene where the hostess gives the crazy waitress a table full of Europeans. She goes in the back and starts screaming “Foreigners, you gave me foreigners !”  And the hostess. Says she’s sorry, she had no choice. 

Agree, a very underrated movie. Alanna Ubach plays the crazy waitress. My favorite scene is where she blows up at the black dishwasher who offers to give her counseling.

 

 

[Mookz 1,337]

2 hours ago, DonS said:

When I was waiter during college in Upstate NY the worst were the French Canadians.  If you ended up with them you knew you wouldn't be getting jack sh1t in terms of a tip.

 

What was your code word for them, "n******"?  

[wiffleball 4,788]

3 hours ago, Bert said:

The constant biotching and complaining is also a huge factor.  I once had a woman ask me to replace the ice water because there was too much ice!!!

She couldn't stir her Hi-C!