Cracker Barrel Old Country Store has rolled out a new logo that eliminates its long-familiar image of an old man leaning against a barrel. The updated design features only the restaurant’s name in a new typeface against its signature gold background.
The change is part of Cracker Barrel’s broader “All the More” campaign, which also includes new menu offerings, refreshed store remodels, and marketing meant to modernize the Tennessee-based brand.
Company Defends Its Decision
Despite the backlash, Cracker Barrel executives insist the changes were driven by customer feedback.
The restaurant told Newsweek in a statement: “Our values haven’t changed. The heart and soul of Cracker Barrel haven’t changed.”
Chief Marketing Officer Sarah Moore told Fox News that remodels are designed to feel “brighter, less cluttered, with more booth seating.” She stressed that favorites like rocking chairs, peg games, and wall antiques are not going away.
A company spokesperson echoed that in a statement to Fox News, saying: “Feedback from both guests and team members has been overwhelmingly positive … The strong performance of these locations affirms that we are moving in the right direction.”
The company suggested that negative reactions come from a “vocal minority.”
Customers Lash Out Online
The redesign, however, has sparked outrage among longtime customers.
“You literally just ruined the entire thing. Change it back!” one user wrote on X. Another described the logo as “generic” and a “massive downgrade.” Some even joked the change “feels like a war crime.”
Conservative influencer Benny Johnson blasted the new design as “absolutely horrible,” while others complained Cracker Barrel is losing its traditional identity:
“They have been changing the menu and ingredients lately. It’s not country cooking anymore.”
Rival Chain Joins the Pile-On
The criticism even spread to other restaurant brands. Steak ’n Shake mocked the redesign on X, writing:
“This is what happens when you have a board that does not respect their historical customers or their brand. At Steak n Shake, we have gone back to basics. Our tallow fries are waiting for you. Oh yeah, you can also now pay with Bitcoin!”
