“Uncle Herschel will still be on our menu”: Cracker Barrel apologizes for logo controversy days after dismissing backlash

Cracker Barrel recently responded to the criticism following the release of its new restaurant logo. For context, on Tuesday, August 19, the company announced changes to its menu and logo, as part of the "All the More" campaign.

The updated logo removes the illustration of Uncle Herschel (Cracker Barrel founder Dan Evins’ actual uncle) leaning against a barrel and drops the word "Old Country Store" from it, leaving just Cracker Barrel on a yellow background. According to the website, Uncle Hershel in the logo represented "the old country store experience where folks would gather around and share stories."

However, the new logo drew significant backlash, most notably from Donald Trump Jr., who reposted a claim on X on August 21 that the redesign was "CEO Julie Felss Masino’s project" and that she had "scrapped a beloved American aesthetic and replaced it with sterile, soulless branding."

"WTF is wrong with @CrackerBarrel ??!" Donald Trump Jr. wrote.

Responding to the criticism, the company took to its Instagram handle on August 25, writing that if the few days had taught them anything, it was how "deeply people care about Cracker Barrel, adding that they are "truly grateful" for the heartfelt voices.

Addressing the backlash over the logo, they added:

"We love seeing how much you care about our 'old timer.' We love him too. Uncle Herschel will still be on our menu (welcome back Uncle Herschel's Favorite Breakfast Platter), on our road signs and featured in our country store. He's not going anywhere - he's family."

The 56-year-old chain continued:

"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."

Cracker Barrel's shares fell 7.2% following backlash

As reported by CBS News on August 25, Cracker Barrel's stock dropped by $4.22 (7.2%) on Thursday, closing at $52.80, which cuts its market value by $94 million. The outlet added that at one point, the shares were even lower, down to $50.27, "representing a loss of almost $200 million in its capitalization," amid the change in its logo.

Meanwhile, in a statement released in March, the company said that the change, which is part of a "strategic transformation," will retain the brand's "rich history of country hospitality" and "authentic charm that has made the brand a beloved destination for generations of families."

In a media release, the company's Chief Marketing Officer, Sarah Moore, stated:

"We believe in the goodness of country hospitality, a spirit that has always defined us. Our story hasn’t changed. Our values haven’t changed."

Among the various criticisms, the renowned American restaurant chain Steak N' Shake also criticized Cracker Barrel's CEO for erasing the Southern-inspired chain's "heritage."

In an X post dated August 21, with over 11 million views, Stean N' Shake wrote:

"Sometimes, people want to change things just to put their own personality on things. At CB, their goal is to just delete the personality altogether. Hence, the elimination of the 'old-timer' from the signage. Heritage is what got Cracker Barrel this far, and now the CEO wants to just scrape it all away. At Steak n Shake, we take pride in our history, our families, and American values. All are welcome. We will never market ourselves away from our past in a cheap effort to gain the approval of trend seekers."

Founded by Tommy Lowe and Dan Evins in 1969, Cracker Barrel is a renowned Southern-style part-restaurant, part-store chain.