‘Bar Rescue’ host Jon Taffer argues Cracker Barrel leadership should be ‘disempowered’ after rebrand disaster on ‘Varney & Co.’
Cracker Barrel shares rose on Wednesday after the restaurant chain said it will scrap its new logo.
It’s an about-face from the past week in which the company’s stock sank for consecutive days due to the fierce backlash from customers.
Shares rose as much as 6% in premarket trading on Wednesday.
“We thank your guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel,” the restaurant chain said in a statement to FOX Business on Tuesday. “We said we would listen, and we have. Our new logo is going away and our ‘Old Timer’ will remain. 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.”
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CBRL | CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE INC. | 62.35 | +4.64 | +8.04% |
CRACKER BARREL’S LOGO BACKLASH: THE COST OF MAJOR BRANDING MISTAKES
The new Cracker Barrel logo is seen on a menu inside a restaurant on Aug. 21, 2025, in Homestead, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Deputy White House Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich said Tuesday on social media that he appreciated a call earlier in the evening from Cracker Barrel.
“They thanked President Trump for weighing in on the issue of their iconic ‘original’ logo,” he wrote. “They wanted the President to know that they heard him, along with customer response (the ultimate poll), and would be restoring the ‘Old Timer.’ So smart! Congrats Cracker Barrel and America!”
President Donald Trump also weighed in on social media after learning about the restaurant’s decision to stick to its old logo.
“Congratulations ‘Cracker Barrel’ on changing your logo back to what it was. All of your fans very much appreciate it,” he wrote. “Good luck into the future. Make lots of money and, most importantly, make your customers happy again!”
The company said it will scrap its new logo after receiving backlash from customers. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Cracker Barrel faced a growing list of critics that called the company out for making a marketing mistake after the logo changes and remodeling. A former Cracker Barrel employee-turned-brand designer, Erik Russell, went as far as to say the company was committing “brand suicide.”
CRACKER BARREL ADMITS IT ‘COULD’VE DONE A BETTER JOB’ AFTER NEW LOGO BACKLASH
“There is no such thing as ‘just a logo,’” Russell said before Cracker Barrel’s decision to ditch the new logo. “When you first draw a logo, it doesn’t matter how good that logo is technically, right? It doesn’t mean anything. What makes a logo meaningful and what makes branding meaningful is the connection that it represents to your customers.”
Last week, shortly after the backlash ensued, Cracker Barrel told FOX Business in a statement that while the logo changed, the company’s values hadn’t, and that Uncle Herschel McCartney, uncle of the company’s founder, Dan Evins, and Cracker Barrel’s goodwill ambassador, “remains front and center in our restaurants and on our menu.”
President Donald Trump also weighed in on social media after learning about the restaurant’s decision to stick to its old logo. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
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The company also said the redesign is an even bigger nod to its original roots.
When Cracker Barrel opened its first location in 1969, the logo consisted solely of a text-only design, featuring the name “Cracker Barrel.”
FOX Business’ Greg Wehner and Fox News’ Patrick Ward contributed to this report.
