‘The Big Money Show’ panelists react to Cracker Barrel’s failing rebrand as shares of the long-lasting chain take a steep hit.
Cracker Barrel admitted on Monday that it “could’ve done a better job sharing who we are and who we’ll always be” after clients expressed outrage over the restaurant chain’s new brand.
“If the last few days have shown us anything, it’s how deeply people care about Cracker Barrel. We’re truly grateful for your heartfelt voices,” the corporate stated. “You’ve also shown us that we could’ve done a better job sharing who we are and who we’ll always be.”
The corporate stated what has not and “will never change” are the values Cracker Barrel was constructed on when the Lebanon, Tennessee-based chain first opened in 1969.
These values, the assertion learn, are “hard work, family, and scratch-cooked food made with care.”
CRACKER BARREL EXECUTIVE INSISTS RESTAURANT REMODELS ARE ‘WHAT THE GUESTS ASKED FOR’
View of the doorway of the Cracker Barrel Outdated Nation Retailer in Mount Arlington, New Jersey on August 22, 2025. (GREGORY WALTON/AFP through Getty Photos)
Cracker Barrel additionally stated it values providing a spot the place everybody feels at dwelling, no matter the place they’re from or the place they’re headed.
“That’s the Cracker Barrel you’ll always find,” the assertion learn. “The things people love most about our stores aren’t going anywhere: rocking chairs on the porch, a warm fire in the hearth, peg games on the table, unique treasures in our gift shop, and vintage Americana with antiques pulled straight from our warehouse in Lebanon, Tennessee.
“We love seeing how a lot you care about our ‘old timer.’ We love him too. Uncle Herschel will nonetheless be on our menu (welcome again Uncle Herschel’s Favourite Breakfast Platter), on our street indicators and featured in our nation retailer. He’s not going anyplace — he’s household,” the statement continued.
CRACKER BARREL STOCK PLUNGES AMID LOGO CHANGE BACKLASH
The new Cracker Barrel logo is seen on a menu inside the restaurant on August 21, 2025 in Pembroke Pines, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The company said the biggest focus at the moment is “within the kitchen and in your plate,” rather than on the headlines about its logo and remodels.
“Meatloaf, rooster n’ dumplins, nation fried steak, sides that style like Sunday supper, and sure, the world’s greatest pancakes, they’re all nonetheless right here, with a number of new dishes becoming a member of the menu. Whether or not you’re a long-time fan or a first-time visitor, we would like you to really feel at dwelling round our desk,” the statement read. “We additionally need to make sure Cracker Barrel is right here for the following era of households, simply because it has been for yours.”
Cracker Barrel explained that planning for future generations means “displaying up on new platforms and in new methods, however all the time with our heritage on the coronary heart.”
“We take that duty very significantly. We all know we gained’t all the time get every part proper the primary time, however we’ll hold testing, studying, and listening to our visitors and workers,” the company wrote. “On the finish of the day, our promise is easy: you’ll all the time discover consolation, group, and nation hospitality right here at Cracker Barrel. Uncle Herschel wouldn’t have needed it another manner.”
STEAK ‘N SHAKE SLAMS CRACKER BARREL CEO FOR ELIMINATING ‘OLD TIMER’ FROM LOGO: ‘WE TAKE PRIDE IN OUR HISTORY’
Cracker Barrel discovered itself at odds with its followers after eradicating “Uncle Herschel” from its logo. The company unveiled its revamped text-only design, sparking backlash and sinking its stock price.
The original 1969 logo was also text-only, but the 1977 addition of the now-iconic imagery became a staple of its branding.
The chain also redesigned the interior of its restaurants, ditching the kitschy American aesthetic and replacing it with a slick modernist motif.
Cracker Barrel has stood by its recent moves and said 87% of respondents in their research either loved or liked the new logo.
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“And Uncle Herschel stays entrance and heart in our eating places and on our menu. He’s the face of ‘The Herschel Way,’ the muse of how our 70,000-plus workers present the nation hospitality for which we’re recognized,” the spokesperson continued. “Cracker Barrel has been a vacation spot for consolation and group for greater than half a century, and this fifth evolution of the model’s brand, which works throughout digital platforms in addition to billboards and roadside indicators, is a call-back to the unique and rooted much more within the iconic barrel form and phrase mark that began all of it again in 1969.”
A spokesperson also said the feedback from guests and team members has been “overwhelmingly constructive and enthusiastic in regards to the refreshed eating and purchasing expertise,” but a “vocal minority” might really feel otherwise.
FOX Enterprise’ Stephen Sorace, Brian Flood and Nikolas Lanham contributed to this report.
