Cracker Barrel faces mounting backlash from loyal customers who demand the restaurant chain abandon its controversial remodeling efforts that strip away decades of beloved country charm.
District manager Brent appeared in a promotional video defending the changes to locations across the country.
“We might have refreshed some things and updated a little bit, but don’t worry, we’re still Cracker Barrel!” Brent declared in the footage.
The enthusiastic manager outlined extensive modifications made to restaurants, including brighter gift stores and dining rooms, completely replaced furniture and the removal of iconic lattice work.
The company installed sleek bookshelves where traditional country decorations once stood.
Management added sound buffers to dining room ceilings to reduce noise levels throughout the restaurants.
Brent maintained that core Cracker Barrel elements remained intact, pointing to preserved walls featuring deer heads, clocks and country knick-knacks displayed above fireplaces.
The district manager claimed guests embraced the updated restaurants, but social media responses tell a dramatically different story.
Comment sections on official Cracker Barrel posts reveal widespread customer anger and disappointment.
These remodeling initiatives launched over a year ago, but public awareness of the extensive changes has grown recently.
Customers now actively campaign for the chain to reverse course and return to its traditional roots.
“Change it back, now!” one customer demanded under a Mount Juliet restaurant post from the previous summer.
Another critic bluntly stated their disapproval: “Exactly nobody wanted this.”
One particularly upset patron expressed concerns about the chain abandoning its Southern identity. “What’s next? Change the name to Yankee Barrel! I will not be returning,” the customer wrote.
Multiple customers complained that the renovations eliminated what made Cracker Barrel unique. “Now it looks like any other restaurant,” one disappointed patron observed.
The Daily Mail outlined that additional promotional videos featuring the streamlined restaurant designs have generated similar negative reactions from customers.
A recent Sunday video showcasing the S’mores Skillet dessert inadvertently displayed the minimalist shop and dining areas in the background.
“Can we please go back to the original look? The nostalgia is gone,” one woman commented, adding a frowning emoji to emphasize her displeasure with the changes.
Customers have taken their complaints beyond official social media channels, creating dedicated TikTok videos to criticize the new restaurant designs.
“Absolutely hate the renovations. Please do not take away the character that makes it so special and cozy,” one person pleaded.
Not all customers oppose the modernization efforts, however. Some defenders have emerged on social media to support the updated restaurant designs.
“Looks great and fresh,” one supporter commented about the Mount Juliet location. Another customer praised the changes, noting the space appeared “much more open than cramped.”
Several customers acknowledged practical benefits of the renovations.
“I’m not mad at it. The lobby was always a nightmare of crowded, cluttered ‘kitch’. Love an open floor plan!” one person explained.
Chief marketing officer Sarah Moore addressed the controversy in an interview with Fox News Digital earlier this year.
Moore revealed the company had been experimenting with “various levels of remodels” across different locations.
“We’ve been very transparent about our goal of making our stores feel brighter and even more welcoming than they already are, while maintaining that country hospitality and charm that we’re known for,” Moore told the outlet.
The marketing executive emphasized that customer feedback would influence future renovation decisions, recognizing the importance of the “physical guest experience” to Cracker Barrel’s success.
Moore assured customers that signature elements would remain unchanged.
“Items like our rocking chairs, our biscuits, our peg games, antiquities on the wall, none of that is going away,” she stated.
CEO Julie Felss Masino assumed leadership of the company in 2023, replacing previous president Sandra Cochran.
The remodeling initiative forms part of a broader strategic transformation plan.
The Daily Mail reported that Masino outlined company objectives focused on “driving relevancy, delivering food and an experience guests love, and growing profitability” when announcing the comprehensive strategy last year.
“I am excited about our strategic transformation plans to drive relevancy, deliver food and experiences guests love, and grow profitability,” Masino stated at the time of the announcement.
The company announced plans in March to completely remodel approximately 30 locations from its hundreds of restaurants by summer.
The post Cracker Barrel Customers Revolt Against Chain’s Radical Makeover: ‘Change it Back’ appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
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Author: Jordyn M.
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