Things To Do In SW Florida

By DEE-ANN DURBIN, AP Business Writer

Cracker Barrel said Tuesday it’s suspending remodels of its restaurants after criticism from many longtime fans.

The announcement came two weeks after Cracker Barrel backtracked on a separate plan to modernize and simplify its logo. Fans of the chain had also loudly criticized that move.

Lebanon, Tennessee-based Cracker Barrel said Tuesday that just four of its 660 restaurants had been remodeled as part of a test for the brand. The remodels, which began last year, added more comfortable seating, brighter lights, lighter paint and a simplified assortment of antiques but kept signature elements like fireplaces.

“We heard clearly that the modern remodel design does not reflect what you love about Cracker Barrel,” the company said in a statement. “Of course, we will continue to invest in our restaurants to make sure that they are in good shape and meet your expectations.”

Cracker Barrel announced a transformation plan in May 2024 under its new CEO, Julie Felss Masino, a former executive at Taco Bell and Starbucks. Masino said Cracker Barrel was losing its relevance and needed some changes to boost customer traffic. In addition to remodeled stores, the chain planned new dinner menu items and more efficient kitchens. read more

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The income for the typical U.S. household barely rose last year and essentially matched its 2019 peak, the Census Bureau said Tuesday, a stark illustration of the impact that the pandemic inflation spike had on Americans’ finances.

Related Articles

• 
  Black McDonald’s operators detail history of alleged racial discrimination in lawsuit

• 
  Imagineering show digs into details of Disney castles

• 
  Cracker Barrel suspends plans to remodel restaurants after logo blowup

• 
  New data shows the US job market was much weaker than thought in 2024, and this year as well

• 
  Wall Street holds near its records following the latest report showing the US job market is slowing

The report also showed that the highest-earning households received healthy inflation-adjusted income increases, while middle- and lower-income households saw little gain.

Median household income, adjusted for inflation, in 2024 was $83,730, the Census Bureau said, a 1.3% increase from the previous year’s level of $82,690. The median is the midpoint between the highest- and lowest-income households, and helps filter out the impact of very high and very low incomes that can skew averages. read more

By PAUL WISEMAN, AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. job market was much weaker in 2024 and early this year than originally reported, adding to concerns about the health of the nation’s economy.

Employers added 911,000 fewer jobs than originally reported in the year that ended in March 2025, the Labor Department reported Tuesday.

The department issues the so-called benchmark revisions every year. They are intended to better account for new businesses and ones that had gone out of business. The numbers issued Tuesday are preliminary. Final revisions will come out in February 2026.

The revision showed that leisure and hospitality firms — including hotels and restaurants — added 176,000 fewer jobs than originally reported, professional and business services companies 158,000 fewer and retailers 126,000 fewer.

The report comes after the department reported Friday that the economy generated just 22,000 jobs in August, adding to fears that President Donald Trump’s erratic economic policies, including massive and unpredictable taxes on imports, have created so much uncertainty that businesses are reluctant to hire. read more

By STAN CHOE, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are drifting around their record levels on Tuesday following the latest discouraging signal on the job market’s health. Wall Street is hoping for a slowdown that’s deep enough to get the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, but not so overwhelming that it causes a recession.

The S&P 500 rose 0.1% after bobbing earlier in the morning around its all-time high set last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 106 points, or 0.2%, as of 12:37 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was edging higher by 0.1% from its own record set the day before.

Traders have become convinced that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates for the first time this year at its next meeting in a week to prop up the slowing job market. A report Tuesday offered the latest signal of weakness, as the U.S. government said its prior count of jobs across the country through March may have been too high by 911,000, or 0.6%.

That was before President Donald Trump shocked the economy and financial markets in April by rolling out tariffs on countries worldwide. read more

Like a crisp breeze and a color-changing leaf, pumpkin spice is the harbinger of fall. And it’s here — unavoidably so. As in, you can’t turn your head in a grocery store without seeing some kind of pumpkin-spice-flavored food: cookies, pancake mix, oatmeal, coffee creamer, granola bars, donuts, muffins, hummus, cereal, ice cream … you get the picture.

Related Articles

• 
  Black McDonald’s operators detail history of alleged racial discrimination in lawsuit

• 
  Imagineering show digs into details of Disney castles

• 
  Cracker Barrel suspends plans to remodel restaurants after logo blowup

• 
  US household income rose slightly last year, roughly matching 2019 level

• 
  New data shows the US job market was much weaker than thought in 2024, and this year as well

Pumpkin spice is traditionally a blend of five spices — cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice — and they’re all sourced primarily outside the U.S.

The spice industry is bracing for how tariffs could impact prices to import a variety of spices. The American Spice Trade Association says many spices require tropical conditions, which means they can’t be cultivated domestically. That includes staple spices like cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla. read more