SOUTH PORTLAND – When J.R. Rivet came to South Portland to manage Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and Restaurant’s first location in Maine at 357 Maine Mall Road, it ended a 14-year hunt by the nationwide restaurant chain to set up a location in the state.

Since its opening on Nov. 1, the restaurant has more than filled its parking lot in front of the building. During a short break in the craziness of overseeing a new restaurant on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year, Rivet, 30, sat down with the Current on Nov. 27 to talk about how business is going at the company’s newest location.

Q: How has the response been so far? Is it what you expected?

A: The response has been great. I know I am excited to be here. In talking to people they have told me they have been waiting anywhere from a few years to 10 years for Cracker Barrel to come to Maine. As a company we had been talking about it for quite some time. We have definitely seen a steady stream of guests come through our doors

Q: With this being the first Cracker Barrel in Maine, many people in the area have not eaten at a Cracker Barrel yet. What can they expect when they come to the restaurant?

A: For over 40 years now we have been offering good country-style food and genuine hospitality. One of our missions, our guiding principles, is pleasing people. Guests can expect to get breakfast all day long, home-style meals like meat loaf, roast beef, mashed potatoes. We still make our buttermilk biscuits by scratch every day, as well as our dumplings.

Q: There is no shortage of places to eat in the Maine Mall area. What makes Cracker Barrel different from other restaurants?

A: One thing that is going to separate us from other restaurants is we serve breakfast all day. That’s a big thing. As soon as you pull up we have rocking chairs there for you to sit in for a spell. They are for sale but they are also there to sit in. We have been selling those chairs made by the Hinkle Company for 40 years. It is a family-run company that has been in the same family for five generations. I think another thing is the gift shop. We have 2,700 gift items available, including home decorations, classic kids games and puzzles and an audio book rental program where you could rent a book here and return it to any of our other stores.

Q: You came to South Portland to manage this Cracker Barrel location. What is your background with the company?

A: I started with Cracker Barrel back in 2001. I started working at a Cracker Barrel in Milford, Conn., and then in the Coventry, R.I., location. I spent a couple years there until they had me as a floater for the New England Cracker Barrels in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut, to help out. I opened the Wrentham, Mass., location in 2004, so this is my second new store opening.

Q: How did you get into the restaurant industry?

A: In the restaurant industry you need a passion for it, just like you do for anything else. There is a lot of demand in the industry – long hours, working on holidays. When you really love something, all that seems to go away. I love dealing with all my employees and welcoming my guests day in and day out. Cracker Barrel is a good fit for me.

Q: Any other comments?

A: I am excited to be here. I think it is an absolute fantastic area. It is a great place to raise my family.

J.R. Rivet is the general manager of the new Cracker Barrel restaurant near the Maine Mall. (Staff photo by Michael Kelley)