The beloved restaurant chain's decision to drop
its iconic 'Uncle Hershel' character from its logo has triggered a fierce social
media backlash and a significant drop in its market value, placing the brand at
the center of America's ongoing cultural debates.
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| American restaurant chain "Cracker Barrel" |
NEW YORK – The American restaurant chain Cracker Barrel, a brand synonymous with traditional family-style
dining and a rustic "old country store" aesthetic, has found itself
at the center of a social media firestorm after unveiling a redesigned logo.
The move, intended to
modernize the 60-year-old brand's image, has ignited fierce criticism and
placed it on a new front line in the nation's culture wars. The wave of backlash had a tangible impact, with
the company’s stock price falling and wiping out tens of millions of
dollars from its market value.
The controversial rebranding removes the figure of "Uncle Hershel"—a
character inspired by the founder's uncle, traditionally depicted sitting in a
rocking chair next to a barrel—and replaces it with a simplified design
featuring the restaurant's name inside a yellow hexagon.
The change drew
immediate condemnation from conservative commentators. Donald Trump Jr. angrily
posted on X, "What is Cracker Barrel thinking?" His post amplified a
sentiment that the chain had "abandoned a beloved American aesthetic and
replaced it with a sterile, soulless brand."
This incident is the
latest in a series of public outcries against corporations updating their
branding. Luxury automaker Jaguar faced similar criticism when it removed its
iconic leaping cat emblem from its logo.
Despite the online
furor, the scene at a Cracker Barrel in Mount Arlington, New Jersey, offered a
more mixed perspective. While the new logo was displayed behind the cash
register, the original version remained on the building's exterior sign and
menus. "They're getting rid of Mr. Hershel! Will I miss him? Maybe,"
said one cashier, adding, "They're making everything bland." Another
employee, however, dismissed the controversy: "Nothing's changed, just the
logo. The food is still the same."
Cathy Brundolo, a
67-year-old retired social worker and longtime customer, was unbothered.
"It makes no difference, as long as we can see it from the road," she
said. "How can anyone criticize that? Life is change."
Marketing experts
suggest the backlash stems from the brand's deep connection to a specific core demographic. "The problem seems to be that Cracker
Barrel's core customers are traditionalists, living mostly in conservative 'red
states,' and they are more inclined to react," said David Reibstein, a
marketing professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. "It
seemed to them like an abandonment of that segment" of Americans.
According to election
analyst Dave Wasserman, Donald Trump won 74% of the counties with a Cracker
Barrel restaurant in the 2024 election.
Florida Congressman
Byron Donalds, a Republican candidate for governor, wrote on X that he once
worked for the chain. "Their logo was iconic & their unique
restaurants were a cornerstone of American culture. No one asked for this
Woke-inspired redesign. It's time to Make Cracker Barrel Great Again," he
wrote, echoing the famous Trump slogan.
Despite the stock
dip, marketing expert Tim Calkins advised the company to "stick with its
plan." "Cracker Barrel certainly needs some changes, and the current
steps seem logical," he wrote on his blog. "People will likely move
on when the next hot issue comes along."
