Cracker Barrel Drops New Logo Design After Conservative Backlash

Business|Cracker Barrel Drops New Logo Design After Conservative Backlash

Cracker Barrel announced on Tuesday that it would keep its original logo, complete with the classic guy-and-a-barrel design, after its plans to rebrand set off a backlash on social media, including from President Trump.

The company said last week that it was adopting a “fresh” new look, moving away from its logo featuring “Old Timer,” as the man leaning against a big barrel was sometimes referred to, before many on social media criticized the plan.

“We said we would listen, and we have,” the company posted on social media. “Our new logo is going away and our ‘Old Timer’ will remain.”

Cracker Barrel’s new, streamlined logo ignited a backlash from those criticizing the chain for its so-called “wokeness.” The chain had been the target of similar criticism from conservatives in recent years for its embrace of Pride celebrations and its L.G.B.T.Q. employee alliance.

Mr. Trump weighed in on social media on Tuesday, calling the chain’s rebrand attempt a “mistake.” He implored the company to revert to its tried-and-true logo and to use the “Billion Dollars worth of free publicity” that the controversy had provided them.

“Make Cracker Barrel a WINNER again,” he wrote.

The company said in a statement on Monday that it “could’ve done a better job” sharing the news of its rebrand with its customers, some of whom criticized the new logo as “soulless” on social media.

Cracker Barrel declined to comment beyond the statement it posted on social media on Tuesday.

Cracker Barrel, which evokes Southern-style home cooking and hospitality, has long been viewed as a white-coded establishment aligned with conservative social norms. Those associated with the MAGA movement were the most prominent critics of recent changes to its aesthetic. “WTF is wrong with @CrackerBarrel??!” Donald Trump Jr. wrote on X on Wednesday.

The company unveiled a new menu last week alongside the sleeker logo, which had a smoother, modern font and ditched its more ornate flourishes, including the man leaning against a barrel who was featured in the brand’s old logo, first sketched on a napkin in 1977.

Cracker Barrel’s rebrand has also brought bright walls and crisp décor to some locations, replacing the dark walls, natural hardwood and farmhouse aesthetic familiar to longtime customers. The changes, part of the company’s yearslong effort to update itself, inspired horrified, intrigued and angry posts across the internet.