‘Bar Rescue’ host Jon Taffer argues Cracker Barrel management ought to be ‘disempowered’ after rebrand catastrophe on ‘Varney & Co.’
Cracker Barrel shares rose on Wednesday after the restaurant chain mentioned it can scrap its new brand.
It is an about-face from the previous week during which the corporate’s inventory sank for consecutive days as a result of fierce backlash from prospects.
Shares rose as a lot as 6% in premarket buying and selling on Wednesday.
“We thank your guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel,” the restaurant chain mentioned in a press release to FOX Enterprise on Tuesday. “We said we would listen, and we have. Our new logo is going away and our ‘Old Timer’ will remain. At Cracker Barrel, it’s always been – and always will be – about serving up delicious food, warm welcomes, and the kind of country hospitality that feels like family.”
Ticker Safety Final Change Change % CBRL CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE INC. 57.71 +3.44
+6.35%
CRACKER BARREL’S LOGO BACKLASH: THE COST OF MAJOR BRANDING MISTAKES
The brand new Cracker Barrel brand is seen on a menu inside a restaurant on Aug. 21, 2025, in Homestead, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Photos / Getty Photos)
Deputy White Home Chief of Employees Taylor Budowich mentioned Tuesday on social media that he appreciated a name earlier within the night from Cracker Barrel.
“They thanked President Trump for weighing in on the issue of their iconic ‘original’ logo,” he wrote. “They wanted the President to know that they heard him, along with customer response (the ultimate poll), and would be restoring the ‘Old Timer.’ So smart! Congrats Cracker Barrel and America!”
President Donald Trump additionally weighed in on social media after studying concerning the restaurant’s resolution to stay to its outdated brand.
“Congratulations ‘Cracker Barrel’ on changing your logo back to what it was. All of your fans very much appreciate it,” he wrote. “Good luck into the future. Make lots of money and, most importantly, make your customers happy again!”
The corporate mentioned it can scrap its new brand after receiving backlash from prospects. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg through Getty Photos / Getty Photos)
Cracker Barrel confronted a rising checklist of critics that referred to as the corporate out for making a advertising and marketing mistake after the brand adjustments and reworking. A former Cracker Barrel employee-turned-brand designer, Erik Russell, went so far as to say the corporate was committing “brand suicide.”
CRACKER BARREL ADMITS IT ‘COULD’VE DONE A BETTER JOB’ AFTER NEW LOGO BACKLASH
“There is no such thing as ‘just a logo,’” Russell mentioned earlier than Cracker Barrel’s resolution to ditch the brand new brand. “When you first draw a logo, it doesn’t matter how good that logo is technically, right? It doesn’t mean anything. What makes a logo meaningful and what makes branding meaningful is the connection that it represents to your customers.”
Final week, shortly after the backlash ensued, Cracker Barrel instructed FOX Enterprise in a press release that whereas the brand modified, the corporate’s values hadn’t, and that Uncle Herschel McCartney, uncle of the corporate’s founder, Dan Evins, and Cracker Barrel’s goodwill ambassador, “remains front and center in our restaurants and on our menu.”
President Donald Trump additionally weighed in on social media after studying concerning the restaurant’s resolution to stay to its outdated brand. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg through Getty Photos / Getty Photos)
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The corporate additionally mentioned the redesign is an excellent larger nod to its unique roots.
When Cracker Barrel opened its first location in 1969, the brand consisted solely of a text-only design, that includes the identify “Cracker Barrel.”