Cracker Barrel’s latest attempt to address the controversy over its redesign ignited more backlash after a new statement was released on Monday.
“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. 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 read.
The Tennessee food chain added that its values as a company have not changed and that “Uncle Herschel,” the figure of the original logo, was “not going anywhere.”
“While our logo and remodels may be making headlines, our bigger focus is still right where it belongs…in the kitchen and on your plate: serving generous portions of the food you crave at fair prices and doing it with the kind of country hospitality that brightens your days and creates lasting memories,” the statement said.
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It continued, “We know we won’t always get everything right the first time, but we’ll keep testing, learning, and listening to our guests and employees. At the end of the day, our promise is simple: you’ll always find comfort, community, and country hospitality here at Cracker Barrel. Uncle Herschel wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”
The response reignited attacks against Cracker Barrel, with social media users continuing to call for a boycott.
“Cracker Barrel just released this dumb statement where they basically say ‘we hear you but we’re not going to change the logo back and we’re not going to stop funding all ages pride events.’ Dumbest move possible. They’re getting cooked in the comments by angry customers now,” conservative activist Robby Starbuck wrote.
In 2023, the “Old Country Store” celebrated Pride month by unveiling rainbow-colored rocking chairs. Cracker Barrel also sponsored the Nashville Pride Parade in 2024.
Trump advisor Alex Bruesewitz exclaimed, “Cracker Barrel’s leadership is totally clueless! They have no respect for their customers!”
Author and political commentator Dr. Carol Swain wrote, “Here is the clueless @CrackerBarrel response. Company executives don’t know how to respond to the magnitude of [the] backlash. When in a hole, just keep digging.”
“It’s time to get your chicken fried steak with biscuits and gravy at a mom and pop place,” conservative talk radio host Andrew Wilkow remarked.
The Federalist founder and CEO Sean Davis wrote, “Day 1: Everyone loves what we are doing. Day 5: Only a ‘vocal minority’ opposes what we are doing. Day 8: We’re sorry you’re not smart enough to appreciate what we’re doing. This is the Cracker Barrel marketing and PR trajectory so far. They’re now in wall-of-text fake apology mode (‘we’re sorry you’re offended, but not really’).”
“It doesn’t matter what Cracker Barrel corporate PR flacks say now. No one cares. They destroyed the company with their woke rebrand. No one who loved the restaurant will ever trust them again,” The Federalist senior editor John Daniel Davidson wrote.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Cracker Barrel for comment.
Cracker Barrel found itself at odds last week with its fans after removing “Uncle Herschel” from its logo. The company unveiled its revamped text-only design, sparking backlash and sinking its stock price.
The original 1969 logo was also text-only, but the 1977 addition of the now-iconic imagery became a staple of its branding.
The chain also redesigned the interior of its restaurants, ditching the kitschy American aesthetic and replacing it with a slick modernist motif.
Prior to this recent statement, a Cracker Barrel spokesperson said the feedback from guests and team members had been “overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic about the refreshed dining and shopping experience,” but a “vocal minority” may feel differently.
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