Numerous people were less-than-pleased by Cracker Barrel's rebranding move. Many claim the restaurant chain is turning into Denny’s. © Rene Ray De La Cruz/Daily Press / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
(Lebanon, TN) – Cracker Barrel, the chain of restaurant and gift shops with a Southern style, is waiving the white flag. Earlier this month the company announced a redesign that will look to brighten up and freshen up stores — with more white paint, and fewer antiques on display. But the really controversial step was redesigning the logo — which dropped the older man from the logo, as well as the actual cracker barrel!
Customers responded — and many weren’t happy. And investors reacted swiftly — selling off shares, resulting in a $143 million market cap loss. The entire thing was starting to become a fiasco, with even President Trump chiming in and saying it was time for Cracker Barrel to reverse course, and admit it made a mistake.
Earlier on Tuesday, Cracker Barrel had released a statement saying they “heard” the criticisms and wanted to reiterate their commitment to customers. Then, hours later, the news came that the company was no longer going to adopt the new logo — and would keep the old logo.
On social media, conservatives celebrated — and crowed they had won a victory — in the culture war. Many saw Cracker Barrel’s move as anti-American, or as the very least anti-tradition, in the vein of “going woke.” And dating back decades, Cracker Barrel has tried to cultivate a more “progressive” image — after activists accused the chain of being anti gay back in the 1990s.
So, both the cracker barrel, and the old timer — Uncle Herschel — will continue to represent the brand. That’s a good thing — because if nothing else, customers were unhappy, and the restaurant realized that’s never what you want.
