Cracker Barrel unveils new logo and it's not pleasing everyone
The nationwide restaurant chain and country store, which is known for its comfort food and nostalgic atmosphere, unveiled a new, simplified logo with the launch of a fall menu campaign on Aug. 19.
In a news release for the campaign, called "All the More," Cracker Barrel boasted "refreshed restaurant remodels" and "an enhanced brand look and feel."
The updated visuals will appear across menus and marketing collateral, the company said in a statement.
While changes are here, Cracker Barrel told USA TODAY its "values haven't changed, and the heart and soul of Cracker Barrel haven't changed."
"Cracker Barrel has been a destination for comfort and community for more than half a century, and this fifth evolution of the brand's logo, which works across digital platforms as well as billboards and roadside signs, is a call-back to the original and rooted even more in the iconic barrel shape and word mark that started it all back in 1969," the company said.
Cracker Barrel remodels restaurants Some fans share distaste: 'Thanks, I hate it'
85754412007
What does Cracker Barrel's new logo look like?
While still featuring the company's classic gold and brown color palette, the new Cracker Barrel logo instead offers a simplified version without a man seated next to a wooden barrel.
The new logo includes the restaurant's name in brown lettering against a golden yellow border.
The rebrand comes as Cracker Barrel continues renovations at some of its locations around the country, giving restaurants a more modern facelift.
Despite recent online pushback against the renovations, Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino said in an Aug. 19 interview on "Good Morning America" that "people like what we're doing."
"Cracker Barrel needs to feel like the Cracker Barrel for today and for tomorrow – the things that you love are still there," she said. "We need people to choose us, and we want people to choose us."
Some Cracker Barrel customers aren't happy with new logo: 'Cold and sterile'
Some longtime Cracker Barrel fans took to social media to express disappointment with the company's new logo, with some calling on the chain to change it back.
"The new rebrand took the feeling away," one person wrote on Cracker Barrel's Instagram. "Cold and sterile."
Another said, "I'm feeling like this new logo is ruining my life."
Some conservatives even pushed back against the rebrand, suggesting that the new logo is political.
"WTF is wrong with @CrackerBarrel??!" Donald Trump Jr. said in response to a post on X that implied the logo may be motivated by diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
Other people are embracing the changes on social media.
"Cheers to the new logo!!!! We love you!" one Instagram commenter said.
Who is the man in the old Cracker Barrel logo?
According to Cracker Barrel's website, the man in its old logo is not a specific person, but rather a representation of the brand.
"There's an image of a man relaxing by a cracker barrel, representing the old country store experience where folks would gather around and share stories," the website says. "Our logo reflects our roots and the warm, welcoming atmosphere we've always aimed to create."
In addition, the old logo featured the Cracker Barrel name up against a pinto bean shape, which was a nod to one of the restaurant's original sides, its website said.
Dan Evins, Cracker Barrel's founder, enlisted the help of Nashville-based designer Bill Holley to create the logo. Holley "sketched his first draft of the Cracker Barrel logo on a napkin," according to the company.
This story has been updated to add new information.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cracker Barrel's new logo upsets some customers and conservatives
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
37 minutes ago
- CBS News
Cracker Barrel loses almost $100 million in value as stock plunges after new logo release
Cracker Barrel shed almost $100 million in market value after its stock plunged Thursday following the release of a new logo. The new design eliminates a longstanding drawing of an overall-clad man leaning against a barrel, in favor of a cleaner logo featuring just the chain's name. Shares of Cracker Barrel fell $4.22, or 7.2%, to $54.80 in Thursday trading, shedding $94 million in market value. The stock had dipped to a low of $50.27 earlier in the day, representing a loss of almost $200 billion in its capitalization. Wall Street's reaction to the logo redesign comes as Cracker Barrel has been working to refresh its image through new menu items and redecorated stores that eschew the 55-year-old chain's old-timey approach in favor of a more modern look. According to the company's website, the man and barrel in the old logo represented "the old country store experience where folks would gather around and share stories." It's unusual for a company's share price to plunge dramatically due to a logo redesign, although marketing missteps can cause investors to question a company' strategy. Cracker Barrel's overhaul has been overseen by CEO Julie Felss Masino, who last year described the chain as "not as relevant as we once were," and announced plans to update its down-home menu. In a statement to CBS News, Cracker Barrel said that the man portrayed in the logo, known as "Uncle Herschel," will remain "front and center in our restaurants and on our menu." "Our values haven't changed, and the heart and soul of Cracker Barrel haven't changed," the company said. The new logo, which will appear on menus and marketing materials, "is now rooted even more closely to the iconic barrel shape and wordmark that started it all," the company said in an Aug. 18 press release. Conservative commentators took issue with the rebrand, with right-wing podcaster Matt Walsh calling it "more generic" on social media. Marketing experts also criticized the company's overhaul. Bolt Health founder Kevin Dahlstrom, who has served as a chief marketing officer at several companies in the financial industry, described Crack Barrel's rebrand as a "fiasco." "The holy grail of marketing is to create a brand that customers give a damn about — and feel some ownership of. It's exceedingly rare and when you have that — as Cracker Barrel did — you NEVER EVER abandon it, you only double down on it," Dahlstrom wrote on social media.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Newsom Mocks MAGA's Outrage Over Cracker Barrel's New Logo
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been on a posting spree on his MAGA-mocking X account, where he's poked fun at President Donald Trump by parodying the POTUS' notorious all-cap posts. And now, Newsom has turned his sights to trolling MAGA's uproar over Cracker Barrel's viral new rebranding. Earlier this week, the Southern country-themed U.S. restaurant chain unveiled its logo change for the first time in decades. While the old Cracker Barrel logo featured a pinto bean shape behind the Cracker Barrel name alongside an image of an old man and a barrel, the new logo is more simplistic, with just the name of the chain, complete with the original gold and brown color tones. Related: The move sparked a political frenzy, leaving MAGA figures fuming over the logo and aesthetic changes as they accused the restaurant chain of becoming ″woke.' In an all-caps post Thursday on X, Newsom's @GovPressOffice account sarcastically popped off at Cracker Barrel to poke fun at his MAGA opponents. Related: 'WHAT IS WRONG WITH CRACKER BARREL?? KEEP YOUR BEAUTIFUL LOGO!!!,' the post read. 'THE NEW ONE LOOKS LIKE CHEAP VELVEETA 'CHEESE' FROM WALMART, THE PLACE FOR 'GROCERIES' (AN OLD FASHIONED TERM)!!! 'FIX IT' ASAP! WOKE IS DEAD!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. — GCN.' Cracker Barrel didn't immediately respond to HuffPost's request for comment. Backlash from the MAGA crew wasn't the only thing Cracker Barrel was slapped with; the company also reportedly lost nearly $100 million in market value after its stock dipped Thursday following the new logo release. Cracker Barrel has been in the hot seat with the right wing in the past. In 2023, the restaurant chain, which has over 660 locations across 45 states in the United States, was criticized during Pride Month for celebrating its LGBTQ customers in posts on social media and on its website. Related... Right-Winger Miffed By 'Woke' New Change To Cracker Barrel's Peg Game Cracker Barrel Just Made A Major Change And Conservatives Are 'Melting The F**k Down' Right-Wingers Mocked For Full-Blown Freakout Over 'Woke' Cracker BarrelPlay Farm Merge Valley
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Steak 'n Shake Starts Bizarre New Beef With Cracker Barrel Over Its New, Boring Logo
Steak 'n Shake does have a beverage in its name, so maybe it's not surprising this burger and milkshake chain posted a thirst trap for the MAGA faithful on Thursday at the expense of a competitor. The restaurant attempted to capitalize on the MAGA meltdown over Cracker Barrel's new, more corporate logo with a social media post claiming Steak 'n Shake would never think of doing something so terrible as changing its own branding. The post is probably intended to sound as if it's being read by a really folksy announcer with the regional accent of your choice. 'Sometimes, people want to change things just to put their own personality on things. At CB, their goal is to just delete the personality altogether. Hence, the elimination of the 'old-timer' from the signage,' the post reads, referring to the man in overalls who used to be part of Cracker Barrel's logo. Related: 'Heritage is what got Cracker Barrel this far, and now the CEO wants to just scrape it all away,' the post continues. '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.' Cracker Barrel did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the bizarre beef. Restaurant chains mocking their competitors is nothing new ― Wendy's has built a whole social media brand on it. But Steak 'n Shake has recently been on a tear trying to suck up to the Trump White House and the Make America Healthy Again crowd. Related: Some people on social media mocked Steak 'n Shake's manufactured beef with Cracker Barrel for a variety of reasons — not least of which was the fact that the chain has apparently updated its own logo, too. Related... Right-Winger Miffed By 'Woke' New Change To Cracker Barrel's Peg Game Cracker Barrel Just Made A Major Change And Conservatives Are 'Melting The F**k Down' Right-Wingers Mocked For Full-Blown Freakout Over 'Woke' Cracker Barrel Social Media Reacts To RFK Jr.'s Bizarre Steak 'N Shake EndorsementPlay Farm Merge Valley
