Cracker Barrel stock falls 10% as rebranded fourth quarter falls short of expectations
Cracker Barrel said it is focused on improving the guest experience after backlash over its rebranding this summer.
Benzinga – News
Cracker Barrel’s CEO said this week that the company’s controversial and short-lived logo change was not motivated by ideology, despite some speculation that this was not the case.
The change was aimed at making the restaurant chain’s signage easier for passing motorists to read, CEO Julie Fels Masino said at the 13D Monitor Active Passive Summit on Oct. 21, The Wall Street Journal reported.
“Part of this transformation is to create long-term success,” Masino said, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The rural store and restaurant chain announced in August that it was discontinuing a version of its logo featuring a man next to a wooden barrel, and faced backlash from many customers. A few days later, the company reversed course and announced that it would not change its logo after all.
USA TODAY has reached out to Cracker Barrel for comment.
Cracker Barrel logo controversy: What happened?
On August 19, Cracker Barrel unveiled a new, simplified logo to coincide with the launch of its fall menu campaign called “All the More.” The logo continued to use the company’s classic gold and brown color palette, but the figure of a man sitting next to a wooden barrel was removed.
Some customers criticized the logo change as unattractive. President Donald Trump chimed in, writing in a post on Truth Social that the chain could get “free publicity” if it reverted to its old logo.
President Trump said on August 26: “Cracker Barrel should go back to its old logo, admit its mistake based on customer reaction (the ultimate poll), and run the company better than ever.” He later shared more social media posts featuring the brand’s logo.
On August 26, the same day as President Trump’s first post, Cracker Barrel announced that it would be removing its new logo and reverting to “Old Timer.”
“Thank you to our guests for sharing their voices and love for Cracker Barrel. We said we would listen, and we did,” the company said in a statement. “Our new logo will be retired and ‘Old Timer’ will remain.”
Cracker Barrel sticks to its design roots even after changing its logo
Cracker Barrel has also made other design decisions in the months since choosing to stick with its previous logo.
In September, the company announced it would not move forward with plans to renovate the restaurant, which was meant to make the store more modern in an effort to attract a younger customer base.
Earlier this month, Cracker Barrel also announced it was ending its partnership with Prophet, which advised on the company’s logo and restaurant design.
Melina Khan is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. Contact her at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
