A Costly Makeover Went Sideways Fast
Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino is stepping down after less than three years in the top job, following a rebrand fight that turned into a public relations skillet fire. In August 2025, the chain announced changes tied to a reported $700 million makeover, including replacing its 47-year-old logo that showed the restaurant name beside the familiar man sitting by a barrel. The new version stripped away the man and the barrel, leaving only the name. The company also pushed a cleaner, more modern restaurant look, which many longtime fans saw as cold and stripped of the country-store charm that made Cracker Barrel feel like Cracker Barrel.
Customers Made Their Opinion Very Clear
The backlash was not some tiny online grumble from people with too much time and not enough biscuits. Loyal customers spoke up loudly, and the company eventually reversed course by bringing back the beloved Old Timer logo. President Trump also weighed in on Truth Social, urging Cracker Barrel to “go back to the old logo” and admit the mistake based on customer response, which he called “the ultimate Poll.” That is a pretty simple business lesson, even if some boardrooms need it written on a chalkboard next to the daily special: when your core customers tell you they hate the change, maybe do not pretend they are secretly thrilled.
Co-Founder Tommy Lowe Did Not Hold Back
Cracker Barrel co-founder Tommy Lowe was blunt about the redesign, calling the new logo “pitiful” during an interview with Newschannel5’s Carrie Sharp. Lowe said the company was trying to modernize itself to look more like competitors, then argued Cracker Barrel “doesn’t have any competition” in its lane. He also took a jab at Masino’s background, saying he heard she had been at Taco Bell and asking what Taco Bell knows about Cracker Barrel and country food. His advice was simple: improve the food and service, and leave the barrel and the logo alone. Imagine that, a founder thinking the brand’s identity matters.
David Deno Takes Over Next
Cracker Barrel announced Monday that David Deno will replace Masino on August 10. Deno most recently served as CEO of Bloomin’ Brands, the company behind Outback Steakhouse. Masino’s exit follows a stretch in which diners pushed back against efforts to modernize the Southern dining chain, including changes critics said removed Uncle Herschel and the familiar décor full of old signs, antiques, and country-store odds and ends. The company may have hoped for sleek and fresh, but many customers saw a brand trying to sand off its own character. In the restaurant business, nostalgia is not always a problem to solve. Sometimes it is the reason people walk through the door.
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Good article on cracker barrel…maybe the board of directors over at Cracker Barrel should read too…let them know they made the right move….go woke go broke never dies
Woke liberals destroy everything they touch and Masino is a pathetic left wing nut bag woke liberal and CB should be happy she’s gone and CB can get back to the business of serving their customers with All American food.
What does this CEO, clueless shareholders, ignorant out of touch politicians, teachers and a lot of other “professionals” have in common? They all went to the same “higher learning” institutes to become supposedly “knowledgeable” in their professions.
What I see as a high school diploma carrying blue collar business owner who has made a good living with my hands while owning multiple properties and money in the bank is the fact that our educational system is past broken and is totally corrupt. Julie Masino went to college to become ignorant to what is right in front of her. The rich shareholders entrusted in her to do a great job, but they are just as dumb as she is when it comes to commonsense. Money cannot buy you basic intellect. It can buy you a degree with all of the fancy wording to go with it, but at the end of the day the saying “you can’t fix stupid” really applies to a lot of white collared America.
Offer take out some??
Try foods at home