Cracker Barrel is still deep in DEI — despite the return of ‘Uncle Herschel’

Cracker Barrel says the old white guy in overalls will return to its logo. So why is this country-styled restaurant chain still celebrating woke?

Last week, the company jettisoned its long-time mascot “Uncle Herschel” in an effort to “modernize” its brand – only to bring him back this week after a social media firestorm that even President Trump couldn’t resist – and which cost its stock more than $100 million in market value.

The restaurant chain also made some cosmetic changes to its website; gone are the celebrations of various employee-resource groups involving LGBTQ+ and various forms of diversity.

No surprise there. If you follow corporate America’s slide into progressivism, and the consumer backlash including an anti-woke administrative state in the Trump Administration, going woke is a loser. When “modernizing” a brand is often code for “going woke,” and as I have reported, customers rebel because they hate being barraged with left-wing agitprop in marketing and ads (see Bud Light).

But before we celebrate, let’s dig a little deeper into this barrel. It won’t take much to learn that Uncle Herschel isn’t the MAGA dude the company’s loyal customers think he is. Instead, he’s still a social justice warrior, On The Money has learned.

Don’t believe me? Take a look at Cracker Barrel’s website – in particular the company’s “2024 ESG Report.” Inside, you will learn the number of board members, executive team members, professional staff, store level managers and staffers who are women and “racial/ethnic minority.”

The report also touts its “diverse, independent and highly qualified board,” as if its customers care how many board members (in this case 56%) are female when they chow down on a chicken-fried steak. 

Read further and you will discover that Cracker Barrel has dropped the dreaded DEI label. But never fear, wokesters: Cracker Barrel has replaced it with the “Culture & Belonging” department.

“This reframing allowed us to emphasize our commitment to Cracker Barrel’s special culture which is creating a culture of hospitality that is welcoming, inclusive and respectful to all who walk through our door,” Cracker Barrel explains.

The reality: the “Equity” in “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” has recently had a rough time at the Supreme Court – and the Trump administration is cracking down.

Elsewhere, Cracker Barrel touts its “strategy to manage environmental and social risks within the supply chain, including animal welfare.” It wants to raise the “percent of food purchased that meets environmental and/or social sourcing standards” while it lowers the “total energy consumed” at a Cracker Barrel restaurant.

I asked Cracker Barrel if they would like to weigh in on their broader woke tendencies, or as critics alleged, their “reframing” of DEI into something that sounds more palatable – even if its DEI under another name. I haven’t heard back.

Meanwhile, since bringing back Uncle Herschel, its stock has fully recovered from its losses. Can you imagine what might happen if the good folks at Cracker Barrel dropped the rest of their virtue signaling? 

Maybe a good first step would be to take customers’ advice and drop their CEO.