Cracker Barrel Old Country Store rolled out a controversial new logo this week featuring a text-only design that removed the iconic barrel and old-timer figure that adorned its previous logo.
The move was part of a $700 million brand refresh orchestrated by CEO Julie Felss Masino, and in addition to a 14% stock drop that erased $250 million in market value, according to Fox Business, the Southern country-themed chain has been eviscerated on social media for “erasing Americana” and “going woke.”
Cracker Barrel has rebranded for the first time since 1977 pic.twitter.com/5HZk9XG1fF
— Fat Kid Deals (@FatKidDeals) August 20, 2025
Even Steak ‘n Shake participated in the pile-on, accusing Cracker Barrel of erasing its heritage and identity in a “cheap effort to gain the approval of trend seekers.”
“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 just scrape it all away,” the official Steak ‘n Shake X account posted. “At Steak n Shake, we take pride in our history, our families, and American values. All are welcome. We will never market ourselves away from our past in a cheap effort to gain the approval of trend seekers.”
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
In responding to a comment left on the first post about the Cracker Barrel leadership being “clueless,” the person behind the Steak ‘n Shake account said, “This is what happens when you have a board that does not respect their historical customers or their brand. At Steak n Shake, we have gone back to basics. Our tallow fries are waiting for you. Oh yeah, you can also now pay with Bitcoin!”
This is what happens when you have a board that does not respect their historical customers or their brand.
At Steak n Shake, we have gone back to basics. Our tallow fries are waiting for you. Oh yeah, you can also now pay with Bitcoin! https://t.co/F5cBwUBVns
— Steak ‘n Shake (@SteaknShake) August 21, 2025
Social media users saw the Steak ‘n Shake retort as a genius marketing move that is sure to result in an uptick in business. Others used it as an opportunity to “deep fry” Cracker Barrel one more time.
Here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story, as seen on X:
As a lifelong Georgian and Cracker Barrel loyalist, this feels like a slap in the face to those of us who have kept the rocking chairs filled, the fireplaces crackling, and the “old-timer” plates selling for decades.
Cracker Barrel’s strength has always been its heritage. The…
— The REAL Politically Savvy (@patriot_savvy) August 21, 2025
Whoever is running this account deserves a raise. Social media manager is about to be directly responsible for a massive increase in sales.
— __W️T? (@anon9472) August 21, 2025
The woke crowd is as follows pic.twitter.com/DpwZxG9EJP
— Jason Barker The Bold City Saint (@JDogbarker7_4) August 21, 2025
I choose the original flavor, not the extra wokey pic.twitter.com/XQlZ5pnZf6
— AmericanRebel (@AmericanRebble) August 21, 2025
Forgot who posted this for proper by-line pic.twitter.com/G7RbjaIw0w
— Together We Saved America (@tomjdiffley) August 21, 2025
— Mit Ebbuts (@TimothyFS1) August 21, 2025
— AmericanRebel (@AmericanRebble) August 21, 2025
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Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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