CRACKER Barrel’s latest rebrand has stirred major controversy as the southern comfort food restaurant chain steers away from its traditional design.
The chain is facing backlash from social media users, and most notably, from Donald Trump Jr.
The son of President Donald Trump posted his thoughts on X of the company’s new logo.
The updated logo swaps out the old illustration of an elderly man seated on a wooden chair with his arm resting on a barrel, and now showcases the Cracker Barrel name within a yellow circle.
“WTF is wrong with @CrackerBarrel??!” Donald Jr. wrote.
The businessman quote-tweeted a post by the Woke War Room, which included pictures of the Cracker Barrel logos before and after the change.
“Cracker Barrel’s new logo isn’t an accident — it’s CEO Julie Felss Masino’s project,” the account wrote.
“She scrapped a beloved American aesthetic and replaced it with sterile, soulless branding.”
Woke War Room continued the post by criticizing Cracker Barrel’s DEI initiatives and saying that Felss should be replaced.
“She should resign and be replaced with leadership that will restore Cracker Barrel’s tradition,” the post concluded.
Country music artist John Rich expressed disapproval of the new logo, likening it to Bud Light’s 2023 promotional effort that featured transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Bud Light’s controversial campaign prompted a conservative-led boycott against the product.
“Will you go to Cracker Barrel now that it’s going woke,” John Rich posted.
“This could be a ‘Bud Light’ moment in the making…”
Since announcing the significant changes on Monday, the company’s shares have dropped by eleven percent.
Masino had floated the idea around in 2024 that the company would rebrand itself to become more relevant to consumers.
Recent Cracker Barrel Changes
Cracker Barrel has made drastic changes to some of its locations after financial struggles recently.
- New decor – Cracker Barrel is piloting a remodel of its restaurants using a different color palette, updating lighting, offering more comfortable seating, and simplifying decor and fixtures.
- Tweaking prices – Lowering prices at some locations as well as raising prices in others due to the location of the chain.
- New menu items – In more than 10 locations, Cracker Barrel has tested 20 new items, including green chili cornbread and banana pudding.
During a May 2024 investor call, plans were revealed to incorporate “a different color scheme, updated lighting, more comfortable seating, and simplified decor and fixtures.”
Recently released photos of the planned changes show a sleeker interior of the breakfast chain, which no longer has gadgets and gizmos of the south.
The company announced the new logo and redesign in a press release on Monday, promoting its new “All the More” campaign.
The campaign highlights ‘All the More’ that today’s patrons – both current and potential – can find and enjoy at Cracker Barrel, including irresistible new and returning menu items, refreshed restaurant designs, and an improved brand appearance,” the announcement stated.
“Featuring Cracker Barrel’s signature gold and brown hues, the refreshed visuals will be displayed across menus and promotional materials, including the fifth iteration of the brand’s logo, now more closely aligned with the iconic barrel shape and word mark that it originated from.”
The company said the true spirit of the chain is still alive in the redesign.
“We continue to uphold the goodness of country hospitality, a quality that has always defined us. Our story and values remain unchanged,” said Sarah Moore, Cracker Barrel’s Chief Marketing Officer.
“With ‘All the More,’ we’re honoring our legacy while bringing fresh energy, thoughtful craftsmanship and heartfelt hospitality to our guests this fall.”
