Return of the 'Old Timer': Cracker Barrel scraps new logo following backlash

[ificandream]

Source: NBC New York

Cracker Barrel on Tuesday said it was scrapping plans to go to a simplified logo featuring only the chain's name. The company took heat earlier this month when it announced the new look. Gone was the picture of an older man in overalls leaning against a barrel. The words “Old Country Store” were also removed.

The change was part of a wider rebrand, which has seen Cracker Barrel update its cluttered, antique-filled restaurants with lighter paint and modern furniture. Many on social media, including Donald Trump Jr., criticized the new logo, with some threatening to boycott unless it was changed back. Sensing an opening, the rival chain Steak n' Shake called the new logo “a cheap effort to gain the approval of trend seekers.”

In the end, the company has decided to change course. It released the following statement late 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.

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." Shares of Cracker Barrel jumped sharply Tuesday night after the company announced the reversal. But since the debut of the new logo on August 18, shares of Cracker Barrel are down nearly 13%.

Read more: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/return-of-the-old-timer-cracker-barrel-scraps-new-logo-following-backlash/6377097/

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Chickenshits. I went on to their site and wrote them a note. I suggest everyone do so.

[CrispyQ]

1. I don't know what the issue was, but the new logo was a yawn.

Someone said the new logo was better for digital media, but they still could have made it interesting.

[LiberalLovinLug]

45. That's just it

They wanted to update, do a rebrand? The old one may be outdated but it told a story. A design has to have at least something to attract the eye. How was the new logo trendy?

[FakeNoose]

2. I'll bet they fired the marketing agency that led them to that terrible decision

[COL Mustard]

17. No doubt...

But only after they paid them.

[msongs]

3. the crackers have spoken. gotta know your audience nt

[Dem2theMax]

4. Thank goodness! Now I can sleep at night.

[Norrrm]

5. Will the 'whip' remain? It has now become part of the issue.

[Sneederbunk]

23. The whip is a myth.

[pecosbob]

6. I hear the backlash was astro-turfed by the Stake n Shake CEO (Trump bro) in a hostile takeover attempt

[LeftInTX]

11. Trump got involved in it too. He threatened them.

[tanyev]

33. I remember when the President of the United States had so many more important things to do

than comment on a private company's logo choices. Feels like it was only a few months ago.

[sop]

7. I'll sleep better knowing Uncle Herschel's back.

The country's being taken over by a mad man and a bunch of idiots have nothing better to worry about than some old guy on a shitty restaurant's logo. WTF?

[Ocelot II]

8. Oh, hell, no. I'm not going to waste my time on that.

I really couldn't care less what they do with their logo.

[taxi]

9. The Cracker Waffles, formerly known as Cracker Barrel

cannot decide whether to stand with maga who reject a name change, or stand with alt-maga who insist on a name change.

[sop]

10. TACO Barrel

[generalbetrayus]

12. Another reason to go on living.

[MrWowWow]

13. Such a "Lives in the Balance" Issue! LMFAO!!!

Last edited Wed Aug 27, 2025, 01:30 AM - Edit history (1)

[70sEraVet]

14. To make their customers extra excited --

Cracker Barrel will feature the 'Old Timer' with a darkened, decayed area on his right hand!

[Paladin]

15. Oh, well. Just as long as trump jr. is happy. (nt)

[J_William_Ryan]

16. "Return of the 'Old Timer'"

Return of the white old timer – the racist right rejoices.

[Sneederbunk]

18. Wow, now the Left is upset.

I would hate to be a Cracker Barrel exec.

[Lucky Luciano]

19. I doubt anyone on the left ever cared at all. This was even dumber than the Sidney Sweeney thing which was super dumb.

[Renew Deal]

21. When did it become political?

At least for the "left?"

[slightlv]

37. And what, pray tell, made the "new" logo "woke?"

I never could understand if there was an actual reason or definition behind they're calling it "woke"

[Aristus]

44. They got rid of the picture.

Now the sign is only intelligible to those who can read.

Not the Cracker Barrel’s core customer base.

I’m guessing they’ve got pictures on the menus, too, right?

[slightlv]

46. We're back to using Rebus!

[lonely bird]

51. It didn't

For a couple of reasons…

There is no such thing as “The Left”
It was political for the MAGAts because they are snowflakes
Once Trump opened his anus-mouth it became another distraction and step down the path of global irrelevance

[Polybius]

29. Not me

I'm thrilled the change was voided.

[Prairie Gates]

64. Nobody on "the Left" ever cared about this at all

Come on, now.

[Renew Deal]

20. Why do you care enough to write them?

There has to be better things to do.

[swong19104]

22. Go back to the old branding

People who eat at Cracker Barrel don’t want change. They’re incapable of accepting change.

[Clouds Passing]

24. Cracker Barrel Cowards!

[Wonder Why]

25. I'll drink a "New Coke" to that!

[RazorbackExpat]

28. New Coke

Known today as "Coke Zero"

[Wonder Why]

30. No. That was new president, today known as "president zero"

[Jack Valentino]

41. "Coke Zero" is nothing like the 80's 'New Coke'! It's a LOT better!

And ZERO calories..... After starting to drink Diet Coke, I could never stand the full-on sugar version...

Especially liked Diet Coke with LIme..... In regular Coke with lime, you could barely taste the lime,
all the sugar drowned it out...

[Prairie Gates]

65. The failed Tropicana rebranding is probably the better example

It was completely unpolitical, as is this nonsense that they're trying to sell us as controversial and representative of some left-right divide.

[RazorbackExpat]

26. This may actually be a brilliant marketing ploy

Break something that doesn't need fixing to create a controversy about the product and get lots of free publicity, then bend to the will of faithful customers and restore what was broken, just like the New Coke "debacle" of the 1980s

[slightlv]

39. Well, that little fiasco lost me as a customer completely.

Other than having it in a restaurant, I've never drunk a coke since then. I'm a caffeine-aholic, and I can't stand coffee. I take my caffeine cold. Took a while to get used to taste of pepsi, and I never did get to the point of being able to drink a regular pepsi. Amazingly, the diet pepsi tasted a lot better to me. Today, I"m hooked on it. Coke lost a long time consumer (of a LOT of their product) when they started messing around with "formulas" back in the 80s. I remember when it happened, one of my coworkers went out and bought CASES of the coke so it'd be a long time before he ran out. I wasn't that bad. (gryn)

[Polybius]

27. Woo hoo!

Now, bring back Eskimo Pie's and Land of Lakes!

[al_liberal]

31. Cracker Barrel was over

Once they stopped loaning dentures at the old country store.

[William Gustafson]

32. Now that is settled, how about make the food eatable again...

[twodogsbarking]

34. Y'all can get gravy on yer salad, and dessert too. Yeehaw..

Try not to touch anything.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

35. Don't people go there for the food? Why is the logo such a big deal?

That said there are no Crapper Barrel restaurants where I live so I could give a shit less.

[USS_Dauntless]

36. If only it this easy to get the

DAMN EPSTEIN FILES RELEASED! 🤬

[johnnyfins]

38. I feel for their employees. They will bear the

Brunt of this. Workers as always.

[slightlv]

40. And all of this because of logo that was nothing more than

the name of the company on a branded color background. SMDH... some people are so absolutely petty.

[IronLionZion]

42. Douchebag is already taking credit for it

White House takes credit for Cracker Barrel logo reversal
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/26/white-house-credit-cracker-barrel-logo-00527928

[flvegan]

43. Saves them from all that readin' nonsense. n/t

[truthisfreedom]

47. I've never been to a Cracker Barrel in my life,

so this controversy introduced me to the company as well as the logo(s). I guess it’s good marketing to screw around with something that gets you in the news these days. Makes me wonder what the food is like.

[IronLionZion]

57. You're not missing much

It's a southern food theme restaurant designed to evoke memories of old timey general stores. Conservatives love it because they fire workers for simply being gay. They've been sued for racial discrimination against minority workers too.

[Henry203]

48. I cabled every restaurant in the chain

With cat 5 cable. I have been to HQ many times. I thought the change was stupid. I am glad they changed it back. It did mean something to the base. It welcomed them and that is ok.

[RandiFan1290]

52. Congrats on your big victory!!!

[Henry203]

58. Po Folks

They were hugely popular. They changed their name to Folks. I knew the owners from selling cash registers. They lost business and never recovered.
I moved into big legal and was an original member of a revolutionary technology company.
If I mention that I was an original member I get an immediate reception.
Names and images matter.

[MissouriDem47]

49. Glad that was settled

Now we can continue not to spend our money there.

[twodogsbarking]

50. Gee I can't wait to go.

[Torchlight]

53. The basket of deplorables has returned to its barrel of crackers.

I guess they believe a logo changes the taste of mustard.

[marble falls]

54. Big mistake. Like Chappel said, he went into Cracker Barrel and saw a barrel of 'crackers' ...

... the new logo at least seemed a corner to make a change on from their image. MAGA 'crackers' have too much stroke for their real numbers.

[Katinfl]

55. Who the hell actually cares?

[Bengus81]

60. I sure as SHIT don't care. I'd go in there based on the food and service not some fucking sign

that had been changed. But hey Oncrack barrel...way to BOW DOWN to the MAGA nut jobs in this FUCKED UP COUNTRY. Now they feel even more emboldened to pull their shit again,just like they did with Bud Light.

BTW MAGA Barrel,your revenue won't go up a GD penny. Those nut jobs have probably never been in a CB nor will they now.

[Conjuay]

56. I pity all the Cracker Barrel employees

that has to work this coming Sunday- the place will be MOBBED!

[hatrack]

59. Now, on to the next rebrand - the return of "Sambo's"

I'm sure Needy Amin would gladly take credit for that as well . . . .

[kacekwl]

61. The great

negotiator settled another war. Peace Prize on the way.

[Rebl2]

62. I never

noticed the old man in the logo, just the barrel. The new logo was borrrring!

[jcboon]

63. Well, it IS called "Cracker" Barrel. ..