FOOD NEWS
America's First Pasta Company May Be Cracker Barrel's Supplier
By Kalea Martin
Although Cracker Barrel is beloved for its Southern comfort food and isn't exactly known for its pasta, it always has elbow macaroni on-hand for its mac and cheese.
According to Cracker Barrel's website, the chain gets its macaroni from "a family who's been making pasta since their great-great-great-grandfather started in Brooklyn in 1848."
Though Cracker Barrel doesn't disclose the name of its family-run pasta supplier, there's enough evidence to suggest it might be a company called Zerega.
Not many commercial pasta makers were around in 1848. A. Zerega's Sons, now called Zerega, was the only company in Brooklyn in 1848 and the first pasta factory in the U.S.
It was originally operated by its founder, French immigrant Antoine Zerega. His children and great-grandchildren eventually took over.
Zerega isn't a store brand. Instead of distributing its pasta to supermarkets and retailers, it supplies "food service operators" and "many of the country's largest pasta users."
Since 1969, Cracker Barrel has been dedicated to family values and serving quality, homestyle food. With over 660 locations in the U.S., the chain could be one of Zerega's clients.