I thought the period of time when Millennials killed everything had ended.

But, apparently, I was wrong.

Cracker Barrel — the country-themed restaurant known for heavy portions and the gift shop — is in the midst of a generational divide.

A majority of its guests (43%) are 55 and older. But the chain’s ever-important 65 and older demographic has not returned to its pre-COVID-19 levels, Cracker Barrel says.

And, apparently, RestaurantBusinessOnline.com thinks all it takes for Millennials is fried pickles and build-your-own-breakfast: “Millennials, lured by build-your-own breakfast and fried pickles, are visiting more often. But the chain’s important 65-and-over demographic remains slow to return.”

Despite raising prices by 8.7%, the company says the price hike, alone, did not contribute to a “meaningful” decline in traffic (3.2% during the third quarter).

Instead, company leaders believe Cracker Barrel’s traffic decline is related to the broader restaurant industry decline in customers.

Even before COVID-19, Cracker Barrel was never on my radar as a place to eat.

When I think of Cracker Barrel, the immediate first thing that comes to mind is having to wait 20 to 40 minutes for a table. When I was younger, the few times we did go, the wait to get a table felt like a purposeful trap to get people to browse the gift shop. (The gift shop is fun, but not when you’re hungry.)

In addition, the meals just always seemed heavy. So much food. So much heavy food on your stomach.

And, as a Millennial who doesn’t eat meat, the Cracker Barrel menu no longer even entices me. It’s meat on top of meat on top of country-style foods with big portions and loads of butter.

I can get great diner-style food at Eat’n Park that caters to my meal preferences for a great price. And it’s food that won’t make me feel guilty later on.

Earlier this year, Eat That Read This put together a story detailing the Cracker Barrel menu items to not get on your next visit to Cracker Barrel. Zero items on this list surprised me.

But I do like the gift shop.

Photo: A Cracker Barrel gift shop // Todd Van Hoosear