Popular Burger Chain Goes Scorched Earth On Cracker Barrel Over ‘Soulless’ Rebrand

Popular burger chain Steak N’ Shake did not hold back in criticizing the controversial rebrand decision made by one of its competitors, Cracker Barrel, which has generated widespread criticism online and led to a significant dip in the company’s stock price.

Cracker Barrel offers a wide range of traditional southern cuisine and comfort food. Inside, Cracker Barrel locations are known for their decor, which includes wooden rocking chairs on front porches, stone fireplaces, and nostalgic artifacts, evoking the feel of an old-school general store.

In recent weeks, the company has started the process of rapidly overhauling its interior design. Many of the unique artifacts and props have been removed from the dining rooms in favor of scaled down decorations limited to walls.

The company has also redesigned its tables and dining areas to become more in line with modern fast food chains, a move critics have said is cutting down on the company’s appeal. Despite the backlash, Cracker Barrel chief marketing officer Sarah Moore has defended the rebrand. “This is also centered on making our stores easier to operate,” Moore said back in May.

The backlash reached a fever pitch on Tuesday, when the company announced that it would be doing away with its iconic logo in favor of a scaled-down version. The iconic image of a man, dressed as an old school general store owner, sitting next to a barrel has been axed in favor of generic font.

Steak N’ Shake — which has aligned itself with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda and recently hosted Vice President JD Vance — joined the chorus of criticism with a scathing critique of Cracker Barrel’s direction.

“Sometimes, people want to change things just to put their own personality on things. At CB, their goal is to just delete the personality altogether,” the burger chain posted on X. “Hence, the elimination of the ‘old-timer’ from the signage. Heritage is what got Cracker Barrel this far, and now the CEO wants to just scrape it all away.”

The post included a photo of the iconic logo that is set to be phased out. “At Steak n Shake, we take pride in our history, our families, and American values. All are welcome. We will never market ourselves away from our past in a cheap effort to gain the approval of trend seekers,” the post continued.

Steak N’ Shake further addressed the company’s response to critics, whom it referred to as a “vocal minority” and insisted the chain is moving in the right direction. “Cracker Barrel is in denial. Apparently, anyone who disagrees with them is in the minority. It is convenient for the company to blame the logo and the historical decor for its woes rather than address its underlying problems — service, portion size, product quality, and price,” Steak N’ Shake wrote in a follow-up post.

“The CEO talks about the great ‘buzz’ generated by changing the decor, but she cannot point to improving results. Until she is replaced, a great American brand will continue to decline. Save Cracker Barrel!”

Cracker Barrel has been embroiled in crisis since the logo change was announced, as evidenced by a swift and brutal market reaction.

Shares plunged more than 14% at one point on Thursday, wiping out nearly $200 million in market value before a modest recovery left stock prices down around 13.9% at $50.84 per share. Major outlets, including CBS and CNN, reported drops ranging from 8% to 15% depending on the time of day.