President Donald Trump has weighed in on Cracker Barrel’s new logo, which has been at the center of an internet firestorm over the family-dining chain’s rebrand.
“Cracker Barrel should go back to the old logo,” the president wrote Tuesday on the social media platform Truth Social. “Admit a mistake based on customer response (the ultimate Poll), and manage the company better than ever before.”
Trump became the latest and highest-profile figure to join the dayslong uproar over the logo, which replaces an image of a man and a barrel with a more minimalist design.
The old and new Cracker Barrel logos. | Images courtesy of Cracker Barrel
It’s part of a total brand overhaul at Tennessee-based Cracker Barrel under CEO Julie Felss Masino, who has led a $700 million effort to modernize the 55-year-old roadside chain. Cracker Barrel has been renovating some locations with a brighter and cleaner look and has also made updates to its menu and marketing.
When Cracker Barrel quietly unveiled the new logo last week, conservatives swooped in to accuse the chain of going “woke” by distancing itself from its old-timey, Americana vibe and iconography, while others said they felt the new look is just bland.
The initial backlash triggered a dogpile effect, with brands such as Steak n Shake, Buc-ee’s and even the Democratic party joining in on the online critique.
The response caused Cracker Barrel shares to plunge by more than 13% last Thursday, reflecting investor fears that the outcry could impact the chain’s performance.
A YouGov poll published Tuesday showed widespread distaste for the new logo. More than three-quarters of respondents said they prefer the old one, and 29% said the new logo makes them less likely to dine at Cracker Barrel. Additionally, 37% said the chain should focus on “preserving its ‘country store’ heritage” above all else, according to the survey of 1,000 consumers.
In a social media post Monday, Cracker Barrel acknowledged the negative reaction, saying “we could’ve done a better job sharing who we are and who we’ll always be.” But it made no indication that it plans to back off of the new logo or direction.
“We also want to be sure Cracker Barrel is here for the next generation of families, just as it has been for yours,” the company wrote. “That means showing up on new platforms and in new ways, but always with our heritage at heart.”
President Trump took a different, if not entirely pessimistic view. He encouraged the company to hold a news conference to reverse the logo change and said Cracker Barrel could get “a Billion Dollars worth of free publicity if they play their cards right.”
He suggested that Cracker Barrel could turn the situation around in the same way he “made the United States of America the ‘HOTTEST’ country anywhere in the World.”
It was a remarkable statement from the nation’s highest office, although perhaps not from Trump specifically. The president, a former business mogul and reality TV star, has a habit of injecting himself into pop culture discourse. He has made numerous posts about Taylor Swift over the years and recently commented on the controversy surrounding an American Eagle advertisement featuring Sydney Sweeney, for instance.
In this case, Trump’s encouragement seemed to have a positive effect on Cracker Barrel’s stock. Shares rose noticeably after the post was published Tuesday morning, and finished the day up more than 6%.
Cracker Barrel had not responded to a question about Trump’s comment as of publication time.
Prior to the social media tumult, the revamp at the 600-unit Cracker Barrel had been showing signs of progress. Same-store sales increased in four straight quarters, and the company raised its profit outlook for the year. Cracker Barrel stock is up 38% over the past 12 months despite Thursday's sell-off.
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