Cracker Barrel Returns to Original Logo After Fierce Public Backlash
Cracker Barrel has given in to public demand. The 56-year-old Southern chain announced they are scrapping their new logo after many people criticized the brand for “going woke” by removing the old timey elements from their branding.
“We thank our guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel,” Cracker Barrel wrote in a statement on Tuesday night. “We said we would listen, and we have. Our new logo is going away and our ‘Old Timer’ will remain. At Cracker Barrel, it’s always been – and always will be – about serving up delicious food, warm welcomes, and the kind of country hospitality that feels like family. As a proud American institution, our 70,000 hardworking employees look forward to welcoming you to our table soon.”
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Cracker Barrel shared their new logo, which stripped away the imagery to include only the brand’s name, on Aug. 18. The change was part of a wider rebrand, which also includes the chain revamping its restaurants with a more modern design. Founded in 1969 in Lebanon, Tennessee, there are now more than 600 Cracker Barrel restaurants across the U.S., although there has been concern that the heritage aesthetic doesn’t appeal to younger customers.
“We believe in the goodness of country hospitality, a spirit that has always defined us. Our story hasn’t changed,” said Cracker Barrel Chief Marketing Officer Sarah Moore in a statement when the revamp was announced. “Our values haven’t changed.”
The rebranding received high-profile criticism, including from Donald Trump and his son Donald Trump Jr., with many suggesting that the new minimalist logo was “woke.”
“Cracker Barrel should go back to the old logo, admit a mistake based on customer response (the ultimate Poll), and manage the company better than ever before,” the president wrote on Truth Social. The White House shared a version of the logo featuring Trump himself with the caption, “Go woke, go broke.”
Last week, Cracker Barrel’s stocks took a hit following the backlash, which was largely led by the right wing. However, according to Reuters, the company’s stock has lost more than half its value in the last three years due to a slow recovery following COVID, meaning there may be more nuanced reasons for the market stump than the logo.
In fact, there is no indication that Cracker Barrel’s decision to simplify its logo was motivated by politics or “wokeness.” If anything, the company has been struggling for years to market its perfectly mediocre food and boomer nostalgia-themed ambiance to anyone but the remaining population of baby boomers, or those in urgent need of a bathroom during their long drives. A rebrand was long overdue.
Still, Trump celebrated the news of the original logo’s return on Tuesday night, writing, “Congratulations ‘Cracker Barrel’ on changing your logo back to what it was. All of your fans very much appreciate it. Good luck into the future. Make lots of money and, most importantly, make your customers happy again!”
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