Cracker Barrel is altering its iconic and well-known emblem for the primary time in almost 50 years. Sadly, the brand new emblem sucks, and is a component of a bigger pattern of companies ditching their distinctive qualities and going as broad as attainable to be able to make the road go up. And by some means this new boring emblem, in accordance with chuds on-line, can be an instance of “going woke.” Of us, it’s a multitude on the market. On August 19, Cracker Barrel introduced that it was ditching its 48-year-old emblem that includes a person sitting subsequent to a barrel. As an alternative, the restaurant that focuses on “Southern consolation meals” has changed the well-known emblem with a brand new one that’s merely a yellow form with the Cracker Barrel identify slapped on it. It’s the sort of factor that I might whip up in Photoshop in underneath 5 minutes, although I wouldn’t receives a commission the possible tens of 1000’s of {dollars} (or extra) that the individuals who truly created the brand new emblem acquired. There’s no method round it: The brand new emblem is boring, bland, and unhealthy. Individuals hate it. You don’t must look exhausting to seek out loads of folks on-line sharing adverse ideas on the brand new, modernized emblem. It’s additionally half of a bigger, much less talked-about rebrand that has been taking place at Cracker Barrel over the past yr or so, with outdated eating places ditching their rustic search for stylish white partitions and fashionable design touches.
“Our story hasn’t modified. Our values haven’t modified,” mentioned Cracker Barrel’s CMO Sarah Moore. “With ‘All of the Extra,’ we’re honoring our legacy whereas bringing recent vitality, considerate craftsmanship and heartfelt hospitality to our friends this fall.” The fact is that Cracker Barrel’s “story” has modified, as a result of it’s now 2025 and it’s a publicly traded firm. At the moment, you may’t simply be a profitable restaurant that grandparents carry their grandkids to to allow them to share tales from “again in my day…” over giant parts of so-so consolation meals. You possibly can’t simply be a worthwhile firm. It’s important to develop. You could at all times develop. The stockholders demand it. They’ll reduce your head off and change you if there isn’t regular, endless progress. Making that line go up is all that issues, and if meaning ditching a traditional emblem that may have delay some youthful eaters, or shedding folks endlessly, so be it. As an alternative of making an attempt to be one factor for some folks, Cracker Barrel and different corporations determined to develop should be many issues to everybody. And in making an attempt to enchantment to all, Cracker Barrel has stripped itself of its well-known emblem and distinctive traits, which makes it exhausting to justify going there for a meal. Cracker Barrel, Welcome To The Tradition Struggle However after all, additionally as a result of it’s 2025, this emblem change can’t simply be one thing all of us take a look at, shake our heads at, possibly make a number of jokes or feedback about, after which transfer on from. Nope! Altering the emblem has set off a firestorm on-line amongst chuds and weirdos, with one in every of President Trump’s sons complaining concerning the change for example of an organization “going woke.”
WTF is incorrect with @CrackerBarrel??! https://t.co/LkYB5N34Qi — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) August 20, 2025 Conservative activist Robby Starbuck posted on Thursday: “Good morning @CrackerBarrel! You’re about to study that wokeness actually doesn’t pay.” Over on the Cracker Barrel subreddit, which is a factor even when it has a really tiny group, you could find an odd combine of individuals complaining about meals whereas sharing memes calling the meals joint “Cucker Barrel.” “I feel it’s time for the Staff and Prospects to Stand Up. Go Woke Go Broke,” mentioned one poster. One other particular person shared a petition to fireplace the CEO of Cracker Barrel over the modifications. The petition had one signature, and the poster had 0 upvotes.
To be clear, I don’t assume Cracker Barrel altering a emblem is “going woke,” no matter that idiotic grievance means as we speak. Nor do I feel it’s an assault on outdated American values. I do, nevertheless, assume Cracker Barrel’s simplified emblem and shift to extra sterile-looking eating rooms are unhealthy and irritating. I don’t need the whole lot to be focused to everybody with no distinct traits or options. I’d wish to have the selection to go to a spot that’s stuffed with old-timey decorations and a captivating emblem from the ’70s. Additionally, Cracker Barrel, a number of emblem modifications and a few white partitions aren’t going to trick me or youthful folks into consuming there. I say lean into your clientele and make the menus cursive and put rotary telephones on every desk that it’s a must to use to order your meals. Give these grandparents much more stuff to level at and go, “Oh, I wager you don’t know what that’s!” whereas their younger grandkids roll their eyes. Not the whole lot must enchantment to the lots. That’s how you find yourself with boring Marvel films and uninteresting video games which can be overstuffed with each characteristic you may consider. And that feels like a horrible future.
