President Donald Trump addressed the mounting controversy surrounding Cracker Barrel on Tuesday amid public backlash to the restaurant and country store's recent logo change and redesign.
"Cracker Barrel should go back to the old logo, admit a mistake based on customer response (the ultimate Poll), and manage the company better than ever before," Trump wrote in a social media post Tuesday. "They got a Billion Dollars worth of free publicity if they play their cards right. Very tricky to do, but a great opportunity. Have a major News Conference today. Make Cracker Barrel a WINNER again."
He added, "Remember, in just a short period of time I made the United States of America the 'HOTTEST' Country anywhere in the World. One year ago, it was 'DEAD.' Good luck!"
Mixed reviews for new Cracker Barrel logo, CEO says redesign feedback has been 'overwhelmingly positive'Trump's comments come after Cracker Barrel issued a statement on its website Monday addressing the new logo, which forgoes the classic illustration of a man known as Uncle Herschel in favor of a simplified text-only logo.
"If the last few days have shown us anything, it's how deeply people care about Cracker Barrel. We're truly grateful for your heartfelt voices," the company said. "You've also shown us that we could've done a better job sharing who we are and who we'll always be."
The statement continued, "We love seeing how much you care about our 'old timer.' We love him too. Uncle Herschel will still be on our menu (welcome back Uncle Herschel's Favorite Breakfast Platter), on our road signs and featured in our country store. He's not going anywhere -- he's family."
The controversy first began after Cracker Barrel debuted several newly remodeled restaurant locations last year, swapping its old country store aesthetic for a brighter, more modern Southern country theme. The redesigned locations offer new seating, lighting, and bookcases, maintaining beloved signature items like oversized stone fireplaces and mounted taxidermy deer heads.
Backlash to the new look and redesigned logo has been swift, with some social media users questioning whether it indicates a departure from Cracker Barrels roots and others critiquing the modern design choices.
Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Masino previously defended the redesign efforts in an interview with "Good Morning America" earlier this month, stating at the time that public feedback to the company's remodeled locations had so far been "overwhelmingly positive."
"People like what we're doing," Masino said at the time. "Cracker Barrel needs to feel like the Cracker Barrel for today and for tomorrow -- the things that you love are still there. We need people to choose us, and we want people to choose us."
"The buzz is so good, not only from our customers, but from our team," she added.
