Cracker Barrel is facing major backlash after unveiling its first logo change in nearly half a century, sparking a wave of criticism from longtime fans.
The Southern-inspired chain, founded in 1969, had not touched its logo since 1977, when it introduced the now-iconic image of a man sitting beside a barrel. The new version, rolled out this week, strips away the rustic imagery in favor of a simplified font on a plain background. Executives said the update was meant to modernize the look while staying true to the “barrel shape and wordmark that started it all.”
But on social media, the response was brutal. One designer who said they worked at Cracker Barrel for nearly a decade accused the company of “brand suicide.” Others blasted the decision as abandoning tradition, with one user calling it “depressing” and another insisting the old design was “recognizable to generations.”
Some critics went further. Daily Wire host Michael Knowles mocked the redesign, joking that “President Trump needs to federalize Cracker Barrel and deport this CEO.” Other posts compared the move to an “architectural catastrophe” and labeled the remodeled restaurants “Corporate Sterile.”
Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Masino defended the change in an interview on Good Morning America. Masino, who joined the company in 2023 after senior roles at Taco Bell and Starbucks, said the redesign has received “overwhelmingly positive” internal feedback. “The things that you love are still there,” she said. “We need people to choose us, and we want people to choose us.”
Along with the logo overhaul, Cracker Barrel has been remodeling stores to appear more modern. Masino said managers are eager to see their locations updated, though critics online seem less enthusiastic.
“This is a war crime,” one user quipped, while another summed up the mood bluntly: “Cracker Barrel? More like… Corporate Sterile.”