Southern cuisine wouldn’t be the same without biscuits. So we put biscuits in the center of the plate. But instead of smothering them in gravy, we turned them into sandwiches, with layers of flavor and straight-up foodie flair. The classic Southern drawl gets some serious swagger with the name Holler & Dash—which speaks to good food, good people and good times in a mashup of vernaculars. Sandwich names like Kickback Chicken, Andouille Hustle and Pork Rambler keep the brand voice kicking—as do statement walls, takeout bags and t-shirts.

True to Southern tradition, we created an experience that invites guests to relax and recharge. The restaurant design radiates from the kitchen—the heart of it all in any Southern home. An open floorplan lets folks watch their biscuits being made with real ingredients and recipes that honor the words “local” and “seasonal.” In fact, Holler & Dash swings as much business as possible to local farmers, craftsmen and artists—making each location a unique and welcome addition to the neighborhood.

In a span of 18 months, Holler & Dash opened seven locations and was named one of the “Top 10 Groundbreaking Concepts” by Restaurant Business magazine. They’ve been able to take what they do best, and do it in a cool new way. Bringing style back to Southern—and Southern back in style.

It was imperative to establish the appropriate distance between the Holler & Dash and Cracker Barrel brands. The brand positioning was about Cracker Barrel rekindling their brand essence in a new way. We tested with Millennials every step of the way to make sure our approach was interpreted as authentic and cool for our priority consumer group.

Welcome to the American South, where winters are short, stories are long and everything revolves around food. Cracker Barrel—a restaurant chain with deep Southern roots and 600 locations nationwide—asked us to create a fast-casual concept for today’s tastes. For the last 50 years, they’d been serving up country food in a campy environment. It was time to redefine Southern for a generation that likes to keep it real. So we kept Cracker Barrel’s reputation for hospitality, and gave everything else a twist. We used their archives, the largest collection of Americana in the world, to draw inspiration and create roots that could reach across timelines and traditions.