President Trump urged Cracker Barrel to return to its old logo, piling onto fervent backlash from outraged fans over the Southern dining chain’s “woke” rebrand.
“Cracker Barrel should go back to the old logo, admit a mistake based on customer response (the ultimate Poll), and manage the company better than ever before,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Tuesday.
“They got a Billion Dollars worth of free publicity if they play their cards right. Very tricky to do, but a great opportunity,” he wrote, adding that it’s time to “Make Cracker Barrel a WINNER again.”
Cracker Barrel – known for its Southern fixins like grits and biscuits – has ditched its old-timey decor in favor of white paint and fewer tchotchkes, and scrubbed fan-favorites like folksy farmer Uncle Herschel from its logo.
The president’s demand sent shares in the embattled company soaring 5% by approximately 11:15 a.m. ET – after the company’s valuation shed $100 million last week following the new logo’s release.
“Remember, in just a short period of time I made the United States of America the ‘HOTTEST’ Country anywhere in the World. One year ago, it was ‘DEAD.’ Good luck!” Trump added.
Trump weighed in on the controversial remodeling just a day after Cracker Barrel issued a wimpy apology, admitting that “we won’t always get everything right the first time, but we’ll keep testing, learning and listening to our guests and employees.”
The Tennessee-based company tried to calm customers who mourned the nostalgic chain’s homey feel, with promises to keep the rocking chairs on its porches, fireplaces, peg games at tables, knickknacks in gift shops and kitschy antiques around the restaurant.
“While our logo and remodels may be making headlines, our bigger focus is still right where it belongs … in the kitchen and on your plate,” Cracker Barrel added.
Customers were quick to bash the lame apology as inauthentic – with one griping that Cracker Barrel had “kicked Uncle Herschel to the curb” and is now “paying the price.”
“Own it and stop making excuses,” they added in a comment on Instagram.
Another user chimed in: “The biggest insult to your customers is acting like you hear them but doing the complete opposite”
A third jabbed: “I seriously don’t know what the purpose of this post was because you make it very clear that you have heard each of us, and you don’t care. Great choice in leadership right there.”
Yet another suggested: “Maybe someone can open a new chain, call it Uncle Hershell’s (sic), and decorate it the way Cracker Barrel was, with a gift shop, and everybody will flock there and Cracker Barell (sic) will go under!”
Another customer fumed that the remodeling effort would prove futile, blaming the chain’s downturn on poor food quality and service.
“Logo rebranding and tons of white paint are not going to fix that. Get rid of the SYSCO truck that pulls in with all that processed food and start cooking for real!”
Cracker Barrel – which suffered blowback two years ago when it swapped out some wooden rockers with rainbow ones to celebrate Pride – announced its plans to remodel restaurants last summer.
It was an effort to turn around the chain after CEO Julie Felss Masino lamented that Cracker Barrel is “just not as relevant” as it used to be.
It started the $700 million transformation process across its more than 660 restaurants in May.
