Cracker Barrel outrages conservatives with new logo: ‘This is your Bud Light moment'
The southern-themed restaurant chain, which is based in Lebanon, Tennessee, and first opened its doors in 1969, originally had simple gold branding with its name spelled out in brown lettering, intended to evoke the atmosphere of a friendly wood-frame general store selling dry goods to the pioneers.
Then, in 1977, it added the seated figure of a man wearing overalls leaning against a wooden cask alongside the name, in the process creating an icon of folksy Americana that has endured ever since.
The revamp removes the leaning figure and marks a return to the original design, with the company saying that its new logo 'is now rooted even more closely to the iconic barrel shape and word mark that started it all.'
In a statement, the business elaborated: 'Anchored in Cracker Barrel's signature gold and brown tones, the updated visuals will appear across menus and marketing collateral, including the fifth evolution of the brand's logo, which is now rooted even more closely to the iconic barrel shape and word mark that started it all.'
As harmless as that may sound, the move has incensed members of President Donald Trump's MAGA movement, who have taken to social media in their droves to hammer out howls of complaint.
'WTF is wrong with Cracker Barrel ??!,' wailed Donald Trump Jr, the president's eldest son, quote-tweeting the Woke War Room account, which attacked the company's CEO Julie Felss Masino.
'She scrapped a beloved American aesthetic and replaced it with sterile, soulless branding,' it wrote.
'Masino kept a DEI regime that promises to 'identify, recruit, and advance' hires by race – and now faces civil rights complaints from America First Legal to the [Equal Opportunities Employment Commission] and the Tennessee AG.'
MAGA podcaster Benny Johnson called the new logo 'absolutely horrible' while right-wing pundit Owen Shroyer told Cracker Barrel: 'This is your logo. It's literally a cracker and a barrel. Yes, own the hilarious irony of using a racial slur against your main demographic. It will attract that younger crowd you're reaching for. Or serve better food.'
Watching on with glee, anti-Trump poster Ron Filipkowski commented: 'They are melting the f*** down over the new Cracker Barrel logo and I'm here for it!'
Many people compared the redesign to the Bud Light controversy of 2023, when conservatives, led by rapper Kid Rock, moved to boycott the beer label for featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in a brief commercial.
One person labelled Cracker Barrel 'the Bud Light of formerly great restaurants' and an account called Turbo Truther posted a picture of Felss Masino wearing a clown wig with the caption: 'Cracker Barrel... the Bud Light of Barrels.'
At the other end of the political spectrum, one person posted their alternative logo, in which the leaning figure is posing next to a sign that reads 'Release the Files' about the Jeffrey Epstein furore. At the same time, AI developer Mario Pawlowski scolded conservatives for their hostility.
Pointing out that the company employs 77,600 people across 660 locations, Pawlowski warned against an equivalent boycott on economic grounds, saying it would only hurt the company's staff.
'It's tradition terrorism,' he complained. 'Wrecking brands that employ thousands and support local communities, all for meme points. Wake the hell up!'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
a minute ago
- USA Today
California lawmakers approve Newsom's redistricting plan to counter Texas Republicans
California lawmakers approved Democratic-led redistricting maps for voters to decide in a special election, a day after Texas House Republicans passed new redistricting plans. The California Legislature on Aug. 21 approved Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's proposal on a ballot measure to suspend the state's current congressional districts, drawn by an independent commission, and replace them with maps that could give Democrats five U.S. House seats. The redistricting effort in California is in response to Texas, where Republican lawmakers are pushing new redistricting maps at President Donald Trump's request. The Texas Senate could pass its new redistricting plans on Aug. 21, which Republicans hope will give the state GOP an additional five U.S. House seats. But Newsom said Texas "fired the first shot," and that California is "neutralizing" what happened and giving American voters "a fair chance." "We got here because the President of the United States is struggling, we got here because the President of the United States is one of the most unpopular presidents in US history, we got here because he recognizes that he will lose the election," Newsom said before signing his redistricting plan into law. "He's trying to rig the elections. He's trying to set up the conditions where he can claim that the elections were not won fair and square. Open your eyes to what is going on in the United States of America in 2025." Meanwhile, California Republican Party chairwoman Corrin Rankin called Newsom's actions gerrymandering, adding that her party will fight the "corruption" in court and at the ballot box. "Governor Newsom has signed into law a blatant power grab, rushed through in secret by Democrats in the very kind of backroom process Californians voted to abolish when they created the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission," Rankin said in a statement. "Voters established the Commission to guarantee fairness and transparency, and Democrats just shredded it to protect their own power." California wants to thwart Trump, Texas' efforts California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas said after the vote that Trump doesn't believe in the nation's democratic system. "And it's clear that he will do whatever it takes to hold on to power," Rivas said. "Donald Trump and Republicans don't want to be held accountable by voters. Not in California, not anywhere, actually, in this country." California's proposed redistricting would be temporary as the ballot measure going before voters during a special election on Nov. 4 requires the state to return to nonpartisan map-drawing following the 2030 U.S. Census. But while the Texas redistricting map will take effect once Gov. Greg Abbott signs the bill into law, the proposed California maps could still be rejected by voters. "This special election will waste hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on a rushed special election at a time when Californians are struggling with the cost of living, crime, and homelessness," Rankin, the California GOP chair, said. "It's an abuse of taxpayer money and a direct attack on democracy in our state." But Newsom is confident that California voters can help level the playing field. Currently, California Democrats hold 43 of the state's 52 congressional seats. The Newsom-backed maps would convert five Republican seats into districts that would heavily favor Democrats. "When all things are equal and we're all playing by the same set of rules, there's no question that the Republican party will be the minority party in the House of Representatives next year," Newsom said. "I couldn't be more proud of the extraordinary leaders who are standing up for the rule of law by standing up for the principles and the enduring values of the Founding Fathers."
Los Angeles Times
a minute ago
- Los Angeles Times
Judge says former Trump lawyer Alina Habba has been unlawfully serving as U.S. attorney in New Jersey
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — A federal judge ruled Thursday that President Trump's former lawyer, Alina Habba, has been unlawfully serving as the the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey. The court, saying the administration used 'a novel series of legal and personnel moves,' held that Habba's term as the interim U.S. attorney ended in July, and the Trump administration's maneuvers to keep her in the role without getting confirmation from the U.S. Senate didn't follow procedures required by federal law. 'Faced with the question of whether Ms. Habba is lawfully performing the functions and duties of the office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, I conclude that she is not,' Chief U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann wrote. The opinion says that Habba's actions since July 'may be declared void.' Brann, a President Obama appointee, said he's putting his order on hold pending an appeal. It wasn't immediately clear if that meant Habba would remain in charge of the U.S. attorney's office. A message seeking comment was sent to Habba's office Thursday. The Justice Department said it intends to appeal the ruling. Brann's decision comes in response to a filing on behalf of New Jersey defendants challenging Habba's tenure and the charges she was prosecuting against them. They sought to block the charges against them, arguing that Habba didn't have the authority to prosecute the case after her 120-day term as interim U.S. attorney expired in July. The defendants' motion to block Habba, a onetime White House advisor to President Trump and his former personal defense attorney, is another high-profile chapter in her short tenure. She made headlines when Trump named her U.S. attorney for New Jersey in March. She said the state could 'turn red,' a rare, overt political expression from a prosecutor, and said she planned to investigate the state's Democratic governor and attorney general. She then brought a trespassing charge, which was eventually dropped, against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka stemming from his visit to a federal immigration detention center. Habba later charged Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver with assault stemming from the same incident, a rare federal criminal case against a sitting member of Congress other than for corruption. She denies the charges and has pleaded not guilty. Volatility over her tenure unfolded in late July when the four-month temporary appointment was coming to a close and it became clear that she would not get support from home state Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim, both Democrats, effectively torpedoing her chances of Senate approval. The president withdrew her nomination. Around the same time, federal judges in New Jersey exercised their power under the law to replace Habba with a career prosecutor when Habba's temporary appointment lapsed, but Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi fired that prosecutor and renamed Habba as acting U.S. attorney. In his opinion, Brann questioned the legal moves the administration conducted to keep Habba in place. 'Taken to the extreme, the President could use this method to staff the United States Attorney's office with individuals of his personal choice for an entire term without seeking the Senate's advice and consent,' he wrote. The Justice Department has said in filings that the judges acted prematurely and that the executive has the authority to appoint his preferred candidate to enforce federal laws in the state. Trump had formally nominated Habba as his pick for U.S. attorney on July 1, but Booker and Kim's opposition meant that under long-standing Senate practice known as senatorial courtesy, the nomination would stall out. A handful of other Trump picks for U.S. attorney are facing a similar circumstance. Catalini writes for the Associated Press.
New York Post
a minute ago
- New York Post
Steak ‘n Shake slams Cracker Barrel CEO for eliminating ‘old-timer' from logo: ‘We take pride in our history'
Steak 'n Shake has taken aim at Cracker Barrel, accusing the Southern country-themed chain of erasing its heritage and identity with its controversial new logo. The Indianapolis-based burger chain took to X on Thursday to slam Cracker Barrel for allegedly abandoning its roots, implying that CEO Julie Felss Masino is stripping away the identity of the restaurant and gift store chain in pursuit of short-term trends. Advertisement 'Sometimes, people want to change things just to put their own personality on things,' Steak 'n Shake posted on X on Thursday, along with an image of part of the old Cracker Barrel logo. 'At [Cracker Barrel], their goal is to just delete the personality altogether. Hence, the elimination of the 'old-timer' from the signage.' Steak 'n Shake continued, 'Heritage is what got Cracker Barrel this far, and now the CEO wants to just scrape it all away. At Steak 'n Shake, we take pride in our history, our families, and American values. All are welcome. We will never market ourselves away from our past in a cheap effort to gain the approval of trend seekers.' 3 Steak 'n Shake has fired back at Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino, accusing the company of eliminating its heritage with its new, controversial logo. FOX News Advertisement The fiery post followed just one day after Steak 'n Shake called out Cracker Barrel on Wednesday for the logo change. Replying to a post from Trump advisor Alex Bruesewitz in which he criticized the chain's leadership for the new logo, Steak 'n Shake accused Cracker Barrel's board of directors of not respecting its 'historical customers' or 'brand.' 'At Steak 'n Shake, we have gone back to basics,' Steak 'n Shake posted to X on Wednesday. 3 The Indianapolis-based burger chain posted on X that Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino is stripping away the restaurant's identity. AP Advertisement 'Our tallow fries are waiting for you. Oh yeah, you can also now pay with Bitcoin!' Cracker Barrel unveiled its new logo on Tuesday as part of its new branding campaign — eliminating the iconic image of a man resting on a barrel in favor of a text-only logo for the first time since 1977. Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Conservative critics said the logo was the company's 'Bud Light' moment after receiving intense online backlash, while CEO Masino contended the response was 'overwhelmingly positive.' Advertisement According to a company press release, this new logo is still 'anchored in Cracker Barrel's signature gold and brown tones' and 'now rooted even more closely to the iconic barrel shape and word mark that started it all.' 3 The company posted an image of the old Cracker Barrel logo with the caption, 'Sometimes, people want to change things just to put their own personality on things.' Getty Images On Thursday, shares of Cracker Barrel (CBRL) dropped more than 12%, the steepest drop since April. Steak 'n Shake and Cracker Barrel have been serving customers for more than 50 years. Steak 'n Shake was founded in 1934 in Normal, Illinois, while Cracker Barrel opened its first store in 1969 in Lebanon, Tennessee, according to their websites. Steak 'n Shake and Cracker Barrel did not immediately respond to FOX Business' request for comment.
