Cracker Barrel CEO claims this was the real reason behind disastrous logo change

Cracker Barrel’s top executive on Tuesday said the folksy restaurant chain’s disastrous logo change wasn’t about politics — instead claiming the switch was made for the sake of highway visibility, according to a report.Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino was forced to defend the headline-grabbing bungle at the 13D Monitor Active-Passive Investor Summit in New York on Tuesday as the company faces stepped-up heat from an activist investor.The embattled restaurant boss — who has faced accusations of having a “woke” agenda as she stripped the chain’s beloved “Uncle Herschel” mascot from the chain’s logo — instead insisted that the redesign was meant to make the sign easier to read for drivers speeding past interstate exits.“Part of this transformation is setting up success for the long term,” Masino said at the conference.Her comments were reported by the Wall Street Journal.In August, Cracker Barrel ’s stock tanked when the Tennessee-based chain replaced its classic image of a man in overalls leaning against a wooden barrel with a minimalist design that read only “Cracker Barrel.”The new look was rolled out alongside a slate of modern store remodels and a marketing overhaul led by the consulting firm Prophet — all part of a $700 million rebranding plan aimed at drawing younger diners.The change backfired almost immediately.

Loyal fans blasted the company online for erasing tradition and President Donald Trump urged the brand to restore its heritage logo, saying it should “go back to the old logo, admit a mistake based on customer response … and manage the company better than ever before.”By the end of August, Masino reversed course.The company fired Prophet, halted its test remodels and reinstated the original logo featuring “Uncle Herschel.”Shares plunged nearly 10% after the backlash and are now down roughly 30% for the year, leaving Cracker Barrel with a market capitalization of about $825 million.The fallout also ra...