Cracker Barrel scrapped plans to remodel its restaurants after backlash from longtime fans, the company announced Tuesday.
The decision comes two weeks after the company reversed a plan to modernize its logo, which had also drawn significant disapproval.
The Tennessee-based chain, which operates 660 locations across 43 states and employs over 70,000 people, had begun testing remodels last year at just four sites. The updates included more comfortable seating, brighter lighting, lighter paint, and a streamlined selection of antiques, while retaining signature features like fireplaces. However, the changes sparked pushback.
“We heard clearly that the modern remodel design does not reflect what you love about Cracker Barrel,” the company said in a statement published on Tuesday. “Of course, we will continue to invest in our restaurants to make sure that they are in good shape and meet your expectations.”
The suspension follows a broader transformation plan unveiled in May 2024 by new CEO Julie Felss Masino, a former executive at Taco Bell and Starbucks. Masino had emphasized the need to revitalize the brand, which she said was losing relevance. The plan included remodeled stores, new dinner menu items, and more efficient kitchens, with an initial goal to update 25 to 30 locations by the end of the 2025 fiscal year, which ended July 31.
“Historically, Cracker Barrel has made limited changes to our design aesthetic, and we’ve probably relied a little too much on what was perceived to be the timeless nature of our concept,” Masino said during a conference call with investors last year, the Associated Press reported. She noted positive feedback from customers after remodeling two stores, adding, “The goal, simply put, was to freshen things in such a way as to be noticeable and attractive but still feel like Cracker Barrel.”
Yet, the changes, including a recent logo simplification that removed the image of an overall-clad man leaning on a barrel, alienated many patrons.
Jerry Love, standing outside a Cracker Barrel in Vicksburg, Mississippi, last month, expressed his dismay, per AP: “I’m very conservative and old, so I like those and rather that they didn’t.”
The backlash intensified after the logo change, with conservative critics accusing the chain of shifting its values.
President Donald Trump weighed in on Truth Social, urging, “Make Cracker Barrel a WINNER again.”
After the company reversed the logo decision, Trump congratulated the move and later posted an AI-generated video of himself dancing with the logo’s old man to “YMCA” on X.
The company’s stock has since dropped more than 11% from a month ago.
Cracker Barrel acknowledged missteps in its approach, stating on its website, “We heard clearly that the modern remodel design does not reflect what you love about Cracker Barrel.”
The company reassured customers that “the vintage Americana you love will always be here — the rocking chairs on the porch, our fireplaces and peg games, unique treasures in our gift shop and antiques pulled straight from our warehouse in Lebanon, Tennessee.”