Cracker Barrel unveils a controversial logo change

By Jordan Valinsky, CNN

New York — Cracker Barrel’s modern makeover doesn’t stop with redoing its restaurants. It’s dropping the barrel and the man from its logo, too.

On Tuesday, the Southern-inspired casual dining chain unveiled a new logo “rooted even more closely to the iconic barrel shape,” but without the barrel itself — a central part of the brand’s identity since 1977. (As for the the barrel itself, it was “essentially the water coolers of the day,” Cracker Barrel explained in a blog post.)

The old Cracker Barrel logo is pictured.
(Cracker Barrel via CNN Newsource)

The identity refresh also includes new TV commercials, a redesigned menu and several new fall-themed foods, part of a larger $700 million transformation plan to shake off its stodgy image and lure in new diners.

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“The way we communicate, the things on the menu, the way the stores look and feel … all of these things came up time and time again in our research as opportunities for us to really regain relevancy,” said CEO Julie Felss Masino in 2024.

In particular, the new logo is the latest in a string of changes angering some of its loyal fans who fear the 56-year-old chain is drifting too far from its bucolic roots. On social media, some users griped, with one writing that the “changing the logo just feels like another little piece of culture dying off.” The change also angered some conservatives, too, like President Donald Trump’s son.

Cracker Barrel has also been remodeling some of its 660-plus restaurants. The chain has “decluttered” the interiors by removing the country-themed trinkets that lined the walls and lightened up the interiors, shifting away from the dark woods. So far, reaction has been mixed on social media, with some videos on TikTok going viral voicing their displeasure.

Masino remains adamant that the renovations are working, telling ABC News this week that “people like what we’re doing” and that feedback has been “overwhelmingly positive.”

In June, Cracker Barrel posted an unusual earnings report for a restaurant: It’s taking a $5 million hit from tariffs because of its retail shops, which largely has products imported from overseas. Restaurant revenue and same-store sales both slightly grew, mirroring other increases casual dining chains are experiencing.

Investors aren’t shuddering at the new look, either: Shares of Cracker Barrel (CBRL) are up nearly 8% for the year.