Last week, Cracker Barrel unveiled a logo redesign that the casual-dining chain claimed was “rooted even more closely to the iconic barrel shape” found in its original logo – despite the barrel itself and the “old-timer” leaning against it being nowhere to be found – inciting an outright firestorm on social media.
And the backlash went beyond social media, as the Tennessee-based chain lost nearly $100 million of its market value following the release of its redesigned logo.
The new logo was merely one component of its multifaceted efforts to update its brand, which also involved adding a series of new items to its menu, including alcoholic beverages, as well as rolling out new décor at its 650-plus locations across 44 states.
“Rather than just showing one person, we wanted to feature lots of people,” the company said on its website of the new logo, elaborating that “the idea was to celebrate the diversity of all our guests with a logo that represented our continued passion for pleasing people of all races, colors, and genders.”
While many customers were up in arms over the logo change because they felt the brand had veered too far from its identity, conservative commentators, including President Donald Trump, were outraged over the change as well due to its potential political undertones.
Cracker Barrel Responds to Logo Backlash
After a weeklong backlash that escalated further than anyone could have foreseen, the casual-dining chain flip-flopped on its original decision and opted to return to its old logo, releasing the following statement on its social media accounts:
“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 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,” the statement added.
Let’s take a closer look at the original logo, which is apparently beloved by many, and some of the myths surrounding it.
Who Is the “Old-Timer” in the Cracker Barrel Logo?
Many folks assume that the “old-timer” featured in the original Cracker Barrel logo is Uncle Herschel, AKA the uncle of the casual-dining chain’s founder, Dan Evins, as well as the name of a popular breakfast menu item, but that’s actually a myth, according to a blog post by the brand:
“People have speculated that it’s Uncle Herschel on the Cracker Barrel logo over the years, but that’s not the case. The logo was created by Nashville designer Bill Holley on a napkin back in 1977 with the goal of creating a feeling of nostalgia with an old-timer wearing overalls.”
I’ll admit that yours truly probably knows more about Uncle Herschel than the average person, given that Cracker Barrel was my first waitressing job in college. In fact, I can still recall the time I had to sit through a very long video about the man as part of my onboarding process.
Regardless of his true identity, the old-timer (and his barrel) will live on for the foreseeable future, but only time will tell if the same can be said of the casual-dining chain after experiencing a backlash of that size and severity.
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