JUST IN: Cracker Barrel Reverses Course After Intense Backlash

Restaurant chain Cracker Barrel announced Tuesday evening that it will be switching back to its iconic logo after a week of intense backlash and plummeting company valuations over its rebranding decision.

The Tennessee-based chain — which specializes in traditional southern comfort food and interior decorations centered on heritage American culture — ignited a firestorm last week when they announced a significant change to its logo.

First introduced in 1977, the logo features a man dressed as an old fashioned general store owner sitting next to a barrel. Last week, the company announced that it would be doing away with its classic signage in favor of a simplified, text-based version that does not include the barrel man.

The news kicked off intense backlash online, and from both sides of the political aisle, with both California Governor Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump among those criticizing the decision. “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,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Tuesday morning.

A few hours later, the company announced a complete reversal and confirmed that the old logo will be remaining in place.

“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 announced in a social media post.

“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.”

The announcement follows a catastrophic week that saw the company lose more than $143 million in market value. In addition to the logo change, the company came under fire for a trend of location rebrands that cut down on the longtime feel of the restaurants in favor of more modern interiors.

Company executives have defended the rebrand, stating that it was done following customer feedback on brightness and crowded spaces.

In addition to the general business decision, the company’s past commitments to left-wing ideological causes came back under the microscope. Conservative activist Robby Starbuck, who has highlighted similar commitments from a number of major companies, noted that Cracker Barrel has enthusiastically supported LGBT organizations like Nashville Pride, River City Pride and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).

He also noted that the company displayed rocking chairs decorated with LGBT pride logos at select locations, as well as its corporate office in Tennessee.

“The fact that it’s located there is important to this story because what’s happened here is a microcosm of the parasitic operating procedure of left-wing activists,” Starbuck said. “They don’t just wanna force their soulless, godless, hedonistic vision of the future onto blue hellscapes that their party controls.

By Monday morning, the company appeared to acknowledge the backlash by issuing an apology for the logo rollout. “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,” the company said.

“You’ve also shown us that we could’ve done a better job sharing who we are and who we’ll always be,” the statement continued. Company executives further noted that they remain committed to the company’s founding values, which are “hard work, family, and scratch-cooked food made with care.”