Cracker Barrel’s first rebrand in almost 50 years backfired. The corporate’s inventory misplaced almost $100 million after introducing a extra minimalist look

Cracker Barrel—one of the crucial iconic restaurant chains in America, deeply rooted in Southern meals and hospitality—this week revealed a brand new look. 

A tweak to the brand removes the person sitting on a chair and leaning on a barrel, and the font seems to have barely modified. 

And a few persons are completely outraged, with many going as far to say its new, simplified emblem is a sign of Cracker Barrel going woke. 

“Cracker Barrel didn’t simply lose its emblem. IT misplaced its soul,” wrote an X user known as @DesireeAmerica4, whose bio part reads: “Unapologetically America First. Igniting debate. Standing tall for the on a regular basis American.”

“This isn’t modernization. IT’s extermination of Americana, of heat, of reminiscence,” she continued. “Congratulations, Cracker Barrel. You’re now Woke Barrel. No person requested for this.”

Cracker Barrel misplaced almost $100 million in worth in buying and selling on Thursday. The inventory barely rebounded Friday, up about 0.25% within the late afternoon.

Cracker Barrel didn’t instantly reply to Fortune’s request for remark. 

The brand new emblem is all a part of CEO Julie Felss Masino’s turnaround plan for the restaurant. She mentioned final 12 months the chain wasn’t “as related as we as soon as had been,” and introduced plans to replace its menu and eateries. The brand new emblem is “now rooted much more intently to the enduring barrel form and phrase mark that began IT all,” in accordance with the company. 

“On the floor, IT’s a modest refresh. However when a model is constructed on custom, even a small design change can really feel like a cultural shift,” Evan Nierman, founder and CEO at disaster communications agency Red Banyan, informed Fortune. “IT touched a nerve as a result of IT challenged what some clients felt was sacred about Cracker Barrel.”

Is the Cracker Barrel rebrand actually that huge of a deal?

Cracker Barrel’s rebrand has actually struck a chord with some individuals, significantly those that subscribe to a MAGA-leaning lifestyle. They argue IT rids the model of its deep Southern heritage and that the model has develop into too sterile. 

One TikTok person satirically said regarding the new Cracker Barrel emblem: “I don’t need this woke crap. What DEI rent made this emblem?”

Steak N’ Shake even chimed in on the brand change and reshared the X put up from @DesireeAmerica4 with a remark in a mode mimicking President Donald Trump’s Fact Social posts: “Hearth the CEO! Thanks in your consideration to this matter!” 

Whereas Cracker Barrel “took a stab at modernizing and exhibiting cultural relevance,” Mary Delano, chief advertising officer at advert company Moosylvania, informed Fortune, IT misplaced its old style identification. 

“This might probably offend the restaurant’s core followers, who see the chain’s rocking chairs, consolation meals and nostalgia as the weather that make Cracker Barrel really feel like that residence away from residence,” mentioned Delano, who’s helped convey iconic manufacturers like Pink Whitney to market.

Though the brand new emblem was “extra of a tweak than a complete overhaul,” mentioned Tenyse Williams, digital advertising adjunct teacher at George Washington College and the College of Central Florida, IT feels larger due to the political local weather we’re in.

“Cracker Barrel is nostalgia for a lot of, particularly clients within the South and Midwest who really feel possession and delight over the model,” Williams informed Fortune. “For a model that hasn’t modified its emblem since 1977, even small modifications to an emblem so tied to Americana can really feel magnified.”

Nierman argued, nevertheless, Cracker Barrel’s new emblem doesn’t erase its legacy. Quite IT softens its picture. 

“Cracker Barrel has lengthy leaned right into a model of Americana that felt frozen in time,” he mentioned. “This replace suggests the model is lastly acknowledging that the world round IT is altering, and IT desires to be a part of that future.”

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