Cracker Barrel Faces Backlash over Woke Agenda and Re-Design
"...Cracker Barrel is infested with DEI & wokeness. ... Another little known fact: Cracker Barrel was a Nashville Pride sponsor. Do you want your $ to fund Pride events when you go to" Cracker Barrel? -Heritage Foundation visiting fellow and brand investigator, Robby Starbuck
[WashingtonStand.com] A beloved American restaurant chain is tanking its stock with a featureless rebrand at the behest of woke corporate leaders. Cracker Barrel announced [last] week that it will be launching a "new creative campaign" that the company says "positions the iconic American brand for the future." (Screengrab image: via X-Woke War Room)
The rebrand will feature "new and returning menu items, refreshed restaurant remodels, and an enhanced brand look and feel," according to Cracker Barrel's press release. Part of that "enhanced brand look and feel" includes a new logo: a simple golden badge or shield and a streamlined version of the restaurant's name; the iconic old man sitting next to a barrel of crackers has been removed. Along with the rebranded, modernized interiors Cracker Barrel restaurants will now feature, the rebrand has garnered significant backlash.
President Donald Trump's son, Donald Trump, Jr. asked, "WTF is wrong with [Cracker Barrel]??!" Country music star John Rich suggested, "This could be a 'Bud Light' moment in the making..." Conservative author and podcaster Matt Walsh mocked Cracker Barrel's creative team, snidely posting, "Yes let's remove everything charming and distinct from the logo and make it as generic and boring as we possibly can." Erik Russell, a brand designer who spent nearly a decade working at Cracker Barrel, quipped that watching the company "commit brand suicide is... something." Podcaster Benny Johnson, who boasts nearly four million followers on X and over 5.5 million subscribers on YouTube, blasted the rebrand as "absolutely horrible," asking, "When will they learn?" Human Events senior editor and social media influencer Jack Posobiec posted a picture of the old man sitting next to a barrel of crackers with the caption, "Remember what they took from you."
Sean Davis, co-founder and CEO of The Federalist, called the new logo an "abomination," further joking, "The new logo is so dead and lifeless Democrats are thinking of running it for president in 2028." Davis also posted screenshots some of Cracker Barrel's woke, progressive programs and initiatives. Examples include an "LGBTQ+ Alliance" intended to encourage "employees to bring their whole selves to work while strengthening Cracker Barrel's relationship to the LGBTQ+ community." Another program entitled "Be Bold" is designed "to cultivate and develop Black Leaders within the Cracker Barrel organization utilizing allyship, mentorship, and education to create a path to continued excellence as well as a vibrant and diverse community."
An additional program called "HOLA" has a "mission ... to promote Hispanic and Latino culture through hiring, developing, and retaining talent within Cracker Barrel. To create a culture of inclusivity and awareness through community outreach." A fourth program, called the "Neuroverse Collective" "is focused on advocacy and education on Neurodiversity." Davis commented, "Cracker Barrel's CEO and leadership clearly hate the company's customers and see their mission as re-educating them with the principles of gay race communism."
Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino dismissed much of the online criticism in an interview. "We're listening to our guests, we're doing this all for them," Masino claimed. She added, "Cracker Barrel needs to feel like the Cracker Barrel for today and for tomorrow." When asked if she would "go back to the old way" if customers complained enough, Masino claimed, "Honestly, the feedback's been overwhelmingly positive, that people like what we're doing. ... The feedback and the buzz is so good, not only from our customers but from our team members."
The stock market says otherwise. Between the evening of August 20, shortly after the rebrand was announced, and Thursday morning, Cracker Barrel's stock value fell by over 10%, falling another 5% Thursday afternoon. Masino took over as CEO in August of 2023. Since then, Cracker Barrel's stock has plummeted by nearly 60%. Heritage Foundation visiting fellow and brand investigator Robby Starbuck commented, "Shareholders should be absolutely infuriated. CEO Julie Felss Masino should lose her job. Bottom line: Wokeness destroys businesses."
Starbuck continued to point out the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) fixation the company seems to have developed under the tenure of Masino and her corporate allies. "Meet Gilbert Davila, one of the board members for Cracker Barrel," Starbuck wrote, posting a screenshot of Davila's profile on Cracker Barrel's website. The anti-woke investigator continued to summarize Davila's record, writing, "He's led a DEI strategy firm since 2010 AND he was a VP working on 'Diversity' at Disney. That's his experience. He also pushes for DEI in advertisements. Cracker Barrel is infested with DEI & wokeness."
"Cracker Barrel is so cooked," Starbuck quipped, posting a screenshot of an LGBT Pride event sponsored by Cracker Barrel this year. The company's description said, "In the Cracker Barrel spirit of hospitality and belonging, we call it 'bringing the front porch to Pride.'" Starbuck also noted, "Another little known fact: Cracker Barrel was a Nashville Pride sponsor." He asked consumers, "Do you want your $ to fund Pride events when you go to" Cracker Barrel? Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here
S.A. McCarthy serves as a news writer at The Washington Stand.
