The ongoing Cracker Barrel drama made an abrupt about-face yesterday. After announcing their text-only logo along with news of a broader restaurant refresh, it seems Uncle Herschel can reclaim his seat beside the barrel.
Just days ago, Cracker Barrel announced a simplified logo that removed the long-standing illustration of a man often referred to as Uncle Herschel leaning on a barrel. The company’s redesign was part of its “All the More” modernization push to refresh stores, menus, and visual identity. After sluggish retail and restaurant sales, Cracker Barrel’s refresh was an attempt to appeal to younger customers.
Cracker Barrel’s new campaign ignited a viral backlash on social platforms. Critics called the new look generic, and marketing pros and social commentators debated whether the firm mishandled the rollout. Investors noticed, as well. Cracker Barrel’s share price plunged and it lost millions in market value.
The controversy gained momentum as commentators and public figures weighed in. Even President Trump was questioned about Cracker Barrel’s situation. He urged the company to “admit a mistake” and return to the familiar logo. That pressure added fuel to the conversation and helped turn what began as a branding debate into a broader cultural conversation.
Yesterday, August 26, Cracker Barrel announced it would scrap the new logo and keep the “Old Timer” image as part of its identity. The company said it had listened to its guests and their affection for the brand’s heritage. After the announcement, Cracker Barrel’s stock rebounded.
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I’m glad they listened to their customers. There was absolutely no reason to change the Logo except maybe some board members thought it would appeal to the younger crowd.
It’s been a eating place Icon since it’s inception.
Same as Denny’s, Waffle House, IHOP, White Castle and many more
BTW, I really doubt if Mr. T ever stepped into Cracker Barrel.
Why was my response removed it was no different than Bobs remark about Mr. T only opposing view.
Hi, Kev. I’m not sure why it was removed. There’s nothing in the Comments Trash bin, so I can’t see it or what happened to it. Try posting it again and I’ll watch for it. Sorry. Have a good afternoon. 🙂 –Diane at RVtravel.com
A very good and wise decision..
Seems like some folks want change just for the sake of change or to try and impress someone. I don’t know anything about Cracker Barrel as I don’t think there are any in Oregon. There once was but they closed. Their new sign was a bit boring, but I’m sure I don’t care. Many people dislike trying to change history.
Cracker Barrel opened a place in Bend, Oregon. It lasted less than a year as the type of food they sold and type of restores not fit into the local food culture. Personally, I don’t think there is a healthy thing to eat on their menu, but then, enough people like the place to keep it open.
All 5 Cracker Barrel locations in Oregon closed for the same reason, uninspired, crappy food!
Agree, Food is old school..
Hmmm. I’ve got to figure that one out – “Old School Food”. lol
Yea, no sprouts, etc. You know, new age hippy food! LOL Now, if they had a Pot counter, things would have been different!
Well, I’m glad they changed their sign back, because I still like meat and potatoes.
Thank you for the news, Gail! Well, that was a surprise, but I do tend to be oblivious of popular culture. So, they did revert to their former logo faster than Coca-Cola removed “new” Coke and replaced it with old Coke. Hmm, … well, good. Have a great day and safe travels!
I think what we had here was another case of a young progressive CEO wanting to influence traditional “Americana”. Another progressive who thought she knew better than the millions of loyal customers and she had a $700 million dollar budget to prove she knew better than the cracker rubes. I would simply ask;
1. Did any of the millions of existing customers ask for this change? Was a survey given to the existing customers at check out?
You don’t leave good fishing to find good fishing and you don’t switch bait when your bait is catching.
Happy trails ✌️ 😎
Cancelproof, I think you hit the barrel on the head.
Well, I can’t find anything remotely political from the CEO, but having worked in advertising and been through corporate re-brands, I can say that the blander the image, the happier the “focus groups” are. The new logo was just terrible from a design standpoint. All personality and individuality erased. I don’t have a lot of opinions on the older logo, only that it was at least authentic and I appreciated that. Not a huge fan of these generic brands.
I probably wont ever eat here though, I have too many weird diet restrictions to eat out these days, especially at a place that serves country style food with gravy, butter and cheese! (oh man, now I want biscuits and gravy).
Personally, I believe there are more important issues for Americans to be concerned about than Crackerbarrel’s choice of logos. The phrase that comes to my mind is “get a life.”
Yes indeed, Carl. However, the CB issue is a symptom of one of those very large issues. If we don’t recognize the symptoms, or ignore the symptoms, we cannot possibly treat the disease. Dylan Mulvaney was in fact a small issue too, but was a symptom of a much larger assault on traditional values.
Happy trails ✌️ 😎
Marketing genius. All the free advertising they got.
Still can’t figure out why this is such a news issue, except that journalism today milks every story for all it can get. I also can’t figure Cracker Barrel’s appeal. Crowded gift shop/waiting area, mediocre food, and questionable cleanliness. We once asked a server if she could move us to a clean table. Nope. We had to sit there and wait for someone else to come over and clean the table. I wanted to leave the wet table after the cleaner was done. According to my wife I didn’t want to leave.
We had basically the same problem. But ours was a table was just cleared and never cleaned. Our waiter just put our food on the dirty table.
I questioned it and they sent someone to clean the table. That person just lifted the plates and silverware and put everything back on the wet table.
We just got up and left but not before we let the manager know about the problem.
His response was they were busy and shorthanded and walked away.
Those concerned with this issue need more to do.