By now, you’ve probably seen Cracker Barrel’s new logo and “modernized” restaurant look – and wondered if the folks in charge forgot what business they’re in. Since 1969, Cracker Barrel has sold itself as a cozy roadside hug, complete with porch rocking chairs, hearty plates of comfort food, and shelves stacked with candy you thought had gone extinct.
The food is fine, sure, but the real secret ingredient? Nostalgia. They aren’t just selling hashbrown casserole; they’re selling memories.
NOSTALGIA. NOSTALGIA. NOSTALGIA.
As Merriam-Webster will tell you, nostalgia is that sentimental yearning for a past you can’t get back. Key word: past. You don’t “update” nostalgia. You just let it sit there, slightly dusty, and you leave it alone – whether you think it’s “hip” or not.
Enter CEO Julie Felss Masino, who swooped in from Taco Bell, Starbucks, Mattel, and Sprinkles Cupcakes to deliver what nobody asked for: a new logo and rebrand. Out went “Old Country Store” and an actual barrel in the logo; in came a stripped-down generic logo that means nothing.
Customers don’t like the new look of the restaurant either. Or the redesigned menu. Investors also hate it, with stock taking a nosedive last week.
GO WOKE, GO BROKE: Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino’s decision to ‘decolonize’ the company starting by removing the old-fashioned country gentleman meant to evoke nostalgia and Americana from the logo is hammering the stock wiping out $250 million in value. Since Felss… pic.twitter.com/CX7YHFCwAS
— @amuse (@amuse) August 21, 2025
Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Masino should face charges for this crime against humanity pic.twitter.com/auBFPi4bpr
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) August 21, 2025
You disappointed the entire country.
This is what you took from us. pic.twitter.com/hD6MPqsDVO
— Matt Van Swol (@matt_vanswol) August 21, 2025
But Masino’s crew thought they could lure in the youth by changing things that didn’t need to be changed. Meanwhile, their base – those 55+ diners who actually keep the lights on – are looking at this new “vision” and wondering why Cracker Barrel suddenly feels like an airport Chili’s.
The Daily Mail warned them back in 2023: older diners are the backbone of the business. Instead of protecting that loyalty, the company chased the shiny object. And now? They’ve managed to alienate grandma but still don’t appear to be winning over Gen Z or the Millennials.
Rule number one in hospitality: know who your audience is. Cracker Barrel doesn’t. Which means they’re no longer selling comfort, charm, or nostalgia – just confusion and a generic dining experience no different than the rest. And there are others who are already courting their fleeing customers.
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… pic.twitter.com/Aoml8ZOfuT
— Steak ‘n Shake (@SteaknShake) August 21, 2025
The post Cracker Barrel Axes Nostalgia, Serves Up a Side of Corporate Soullessness appeared first on Steve Gruber.
Click this link for the original source of this article.
Author: Liberty Paige
This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, https://www.stevegruber.com and its author. This content is made available by use of the public RSS feed offered by the host site and is used for educational purposes only. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu.
