Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., changed its planned logo redesign Tuesday amid a negative public relations firestorm that drew accusations of “wokeness” and the attention of President Donald Trump.
Shares in the company were up nearly 10% on Wednesday morning, despite having tanked last week following the announcement that the company would be removing the famous “old timer” Uncle Herschel figure and whip-like “K” from its logo, which had been in place since 1977.
The response from the public regarding the rebrand appeared to be overwhelmingly negative, with a YouGov poll of 1,000 adults over the weekend finding that 65% of Americans had heard about the new logo and 76% liked the older one better. The poll also found that 37% said the chain should focus more on preserving its “country store” heritage.
“We thank our guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel. We said we would listen, and we have,” the company said in a statement Tuesday.
“Our new logo is going away and our ‘Old Timer’ will remain. At Cracker Barrel, it’s always been — and always will be — about serving up delicious food, warm welcomes, and the kind of country hospitality that feels like family. As a proud American institution, our 70,000 hardworking employees look forward to welcoming you to our table soon.”
We thank our guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel. We said we would listen, and we have. Our new logo is going away and our “Old Timer” will remain.
At Cracker Barrel, it’s always been – and always will be – about serving up delicious food, warm… pic.twitter.com/C32QMLOeq0
— Cracker Barrel (@CrackerBarrel) August 26, 2025
The White House took credit for the company’s walk back, with its official X account tweeting a meme of Trump in the place of Uncle Herschel next to a barrel that said, “America First.”
“Go woke, go broke,” the White House said.
Go woke, go broke. https://t.co/NtGUjTMBJJpic.twitter.com/K0ZEa63wQY
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 26, 2025
Trump, who had earlier issued a statement on Tuesday advising the company to restore its historic logo and “admit their mistake,” congratulated the restaurant chain for its most recent decision, according to a statement on Truth Social.
“Congratulations ‘Cracker Barrel’ on changing your logo back to what it was. All of your fans very much appreciate it. Good luck into the future. Make lots of money and, most importantly, make your customers happy again!” Trump said.
The company called the White House to thank the president for his advice, according to Deputy White House Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich, who said he “appreciated the call.”
“They thanked President Trump for weighing in on the issue of their iconic ‘original’ logo,” he said. “They wanted the President to know that they heard him, along with customer response (the ultimate poll), and would be restoring the ‘Old Timer.’ So smart! Congrats Cracker Barrel and America!”
Some were skeptical that Cracker Barrel’s latest move was anything more than damage control. Christian author Eric Metaxas suggested that the logo change was merely a superficial attempt to disguise much deeper corporate woke-ism at the company.
“The problem is that now we know that the old logo is just serving as a fig-leaf to cover up the DEI policies and woke pro-LGBTQ agenda of those in [Cracker Barrel] leadership. Until they renounce all of that, I would not eat there,” he wrote.
Over the past decade, Cracker Barrel has worked closely with the Human Rights Campaign to make its company culture more inclusive and LGBT-friendly, according to Fox Business.
Last month, attorneys with the nonprofit law firm America First Legal, co-founded by Stephen Miller, formally requested that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti investigate Cracker Barrel over its DEI initiatives, which allegedly promote discriminatory practices by providing employment benefits based on race and sex.
“How much did Cracker Barrel spend on its marketing team for the rebrand?” Miller asked Tuesday evening on X.
Jon Brown is a reporter for The Christian Post. Send news tips to jon.brown@christianpost.com
