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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
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FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 17, 2000
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CBRL GROUP, INC.
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(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Tennessee 0-25225 62-1749513
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(State or Other Jurisdiction (Commission File Number) (I.R.S. Employer
of Incorporation Identification No.)
305 Hartmann Drive, Lebanon, Tennessee 37087
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(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (615) 444-5533
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ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS.
As reported in the CBRL Group, Inc. (the "Company") Annual Report on Form 10-
K for the fiscal year ended July 30, 1999 filed with the Commission on October
26, 1999, the Company's Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. subsidiary is
involved in two lawsuits filed in the United States District Court for the
Northern District of Georgia which are not ordinary, routine litigation
incidental to its business.
SERENA MCDERMOTT AND JENNIFER GENTRY V. CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE, INC.
is filed under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and was served on Cracker
Barrel on May 3, 1999. The MCDERMOTT case is styled a collective action,
alleges certain violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and seeks recovery
of unpaid and overtime wages.
KELVIS RHODES, MARIA STOKES ET AL. V. CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE, INC.
is filed under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1 of the
Civil Rights Act of 1866 and was served on Cracker Barrel on September 15,
1999. The RHODES case seeks certification as a class action, a declaratory
judgment to redress an alleged systemic pattern and practice of racial
discrimination in employment opportunities, an order to effect certain hiring
and promotion goals, back pay and other monetary damages.
On March 17, 2000, the Court granted the plaintiffs' motion in the MCDERMOTT
unpaid wage case to send notice to a provisional class of plaintiffs. The
Court defined the provisional class as all persons employed as servers and all
second-shift hourly employees at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store restaurants
since January 4, 1996. A court approved notice will be sent to the defined
class members, who will have 30 days following the date of the notice to
decide whether to participate or "opt in" to the lawsuit. The number of
persons who will be sent notice has not yet been determined. Because of the
provisional status of the plaintiff class, the Court could subsequently amend
its decision. If amended, the scope of the class could either be reduced or
increased or, if appropriate, the Court could dismiss the collective aspects
of the case entirely.
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. believes it has substantial defenses to
the claims made, and it is defending each of these cases vigorously. The
parties are engaged in mediation in both cases, but the mediation process is
confidential and the parties cannot comment on the process or the status of
their discussions. Because only limited discovery has occurred to date,
neither the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome nor the amount of ultimate
liability, if any, with respect to these cases can be determined at this time.
Accordingly, no provision for any potential liability has been made in the
consolidated financial statements of the Company.
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Dated: March 31, 2000 CBRL GROUP, INC.
By: /s/ James F. Blackstock
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Name: James F. Blackstock
Title: Vice President, Secretary and
General Counsel
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