The logo for Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is seen on a sign along Interstate 80.
Paul Weaver | SOPA Images | Getty Images
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store will scrap its controversial rebranding plan, the family restaurant chain announced Tuesday.
The company also communicated the plan directly to the White House, prompting congratulations from President Donald Trump, who had called for the move earlier Tuesday.
“We thank our guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel. We said we would listen, and we have. Our new logo is going away and our ‘Old Timer’ will remain,” the company said in a statement.
“At Cracker Barrel, it’s always been – and always will be – about serving up delicious food, warm welcomes, and the kind of country hospitality that feels like family. As a proud American institution, our 70,000 hardworking employees look forward to welcoming you to our table soon.”
Cracker Barrel’s stock rose in after-hours trading in the heels of the announcement.
The announcement came just hours after Trump had weighed in on the rebrand, writing that, “Cracker Barrel should go back to the old logo, admit a mistake based on customer response (the ultimate Poll) and manage the company better than ever before.”
“They got a Billion Dollars worth of free publicity if they play their cards right,” Trump said in a Truth Social post, just a day after Cracker Barrel told customers the company could have handled its rebranding better than it did.
“Very tricky to do, but a great opportunity. Have a major News Conference today. Make Cracker Barrel a WINNER again,” Trump wrote.
On Tuesday evening, after the announcement, Trump addressed the company again in a post: “Congratulations ‘Cracker Barrel’ on changing your logo back to what it was. All of your fans very much appreciate it. Good luck into the future. Make lots of money and, most importantly, make your customers happy again!”
White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich said he had spoken with the company earlier in the evening.
Trump’s comments came nearly a week after his son Donald Trump Jr. blasted the company for the rebranding, and after the company’s stock dropped on the heels of the new logo’s unveiling.
“WTF is wrong with @CrackerBarrel??!” the younger Trump wrote Wednesday on X, echoing criticism from some conservatives.
As part of its rebranding, Cracker Barrel removed the image on its logo of its “Uncle Herschel” character leaning against a barrel.
The rebranded logo also ditched the yellow barrel and the phrase “Old Country Store,” leaving just the words “Cracker Barrel.”
The logo had been roasted on social media as “soulless,” “bland” and “generic” since it was unveiled last week.In a statement Monday, Cracker Barrel said, “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.”
“You’ve also shown us that we could’ve done a better job sharing who we are and who we’ll always be,” the company said.
A Cracker Barrel Old Country Store restaurant in Stuart, Florida.
Jeff Greenberg | Universal Images Group | Getty Images
