Cracker Barrel scraps new logo after customer outrage

UnmutedNewswire

Aug 28, 2025 - 04:00

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403848 08: A Cracker Barrel Old Country Store sign is visible atop one of its restaurant stores April 12, 2002 in Naperville, IL. The NAACP has joined the racial discrimination lawsuit against Tennessee-based Cracker Barrel restaurants. David Sanford, a lawyer representing other plaintiffs in the case, said the lawsuit was being amended to name the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People as a plaintiff and co-counsel. The class-action lawsuit accuses the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc., headquartered in Lebanon, TN, of segregating black customers in the smoking section and denying them service. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

When Cracker Barrel tried to switch its logo, it was met with a wave of customer and conservative backlash.

Cracker Barrel quickly learned that messing with nostalgia, even nostalgia rooted in a certain kind of country whiteness, comes with consequences.

After unveiling a sleek, minimalist logo that ditched its signature barrel and “old-timer” character, the restaurant chain faced days of outrage from conservatives who accused it of abandoning its “roots.” The pushback even reached President Trump, who has made political hay out of railing against any whiff of “wokeness.”

“We thank our guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel. We said we would listen, and we have. Our new logo is going away and our ‘Old Timer’ will remain,” the company said in a statement, per CNN.

The Tennessee-based chain doubled down on its identity, adding: “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.”

But this whole controversy felt like it was about more than just branding. Loyalists were furious the logo no longer mirrored the chain’s country roots. So much so that shares of the company reportedly dipped more than 12% days after the rollout, and have risen roughly 7% after reinstating the original logo, CNBC reports.

Even Trump applauded the reversal: “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!” he wrote on Truth Social.

When the new logo first dropped, comedian KevOnStage’s satire summed up how many of us already viewed the brand: “Put the racism back in the logo!” he joked. “Y’all messing up Cracker Barrel? Nobody asked for this, man. That’s one place you could leave it just like it is.”

Ultimately, the chain admitted, “We could’ve done a better job sharing who we are and who we’ll always be.”