Overview

• Cracker Barrel replaced the longtime logo featuring the “Uncle Herschel” figure with a simplified, text‑forward design, while stating the character remains in restaurants and on the menu.
• Conservative influencers and politicians denounced the change as “woke,” and activists tied it to the company’s past DEI efforts and a board member’s DEI background, intensifying calls for boycotts.
• The company countered claims about outside influence by saying it has not participated in the Human Rights Campaign index or had any affiliation with HRC in several years.
• Coverage notes stock volatility and reports of roughly $200 million in market value lost following the rollout, as investors question the impact on loyal customers.
• CEO Julie Felss Masino frames the rebrand and store remodels as a bid to reverse declining traffic and reach younger diners, while analysts debate the strategy and point to communication gaps around the brand’s next chapter.