LEBANON, TENN. — Cracker Barrel Old Country Store has hired John Maguire as president of Maple Street Biscuit Co., its fast-casual restaurant concept featuring biscuits, waffles, potatoes, coffee and other breakfast foods.
Mr. Maguire most recently was a consultant with Ascend Wellness Holdings. Earlier, he was president, chief executive officer and chief operating officer at MOD Pizza; president and CEO at Johnny Rockets; president and CEO at Friendly’s Ice Cream, LLC; and executive vice president and COO at Panera Bread Co.
Founded in 2012, Maple Street Biscuit was acquired by Cracker Barrel in 2019 for $36 million. The restaurant chain currently operates 50 units, and Sandra Brophy Cochran, president and CEO of Cracker Barrel, in a June 7 conference call to discuss third-quarter results, said Maple Street “has continued to perform above our expectations despite dealing with its own inflationary pressures.”
“We remain very excited about this brand and are seeing it deliver on our investment thesis that the fast-casual breakfast and lunch space is an attractive one,” Ms. Cochran said. “We’ve been focused on and have made great progress ensuring that we’ve got the right infrastructure in place to grow the brand, including honing the Maple Street real estate model, developing training and operational programs and hiring key leadership.”
