The new Cracker Barrel logo has sparked backlash from nostalgic fans, provided fodder for the culture wars and coincided with a steep drop in the company’s stock price — all because the folksy guy leaning on the barrel is gone.
The new, text-only logo for the country restaurant chain was unveiled on Aug. 19 as part of the company’s ongoing modern rebrand.
It marks the first time in 48 years that the logo has not featured the familiar old-timer in overalls sitting on a wooden chair and relaxing with an arm on a barrel. Cracker Barrel fans know him as Uncle Herschel.
The gold-and-brown tones are still there in the new logo, but many customers were quick to let the company know on its social media that they aren’t happy about the change:
“Change the logo back NOW,” one wrote on Instagram.
“I have NO IDEA why companies feel the need to change their logo when the one they have had for decades works so well,” wrote another. “At least leave the barrel in the logo!!”
Even rival chain Steak ‘n Shake posted on X on Aug. 21, saying it “would never market ourselves away from our past in a cheap effort to gain the approval of trend seekers.” The chain included a close-up shot of the man leaning on the barrel from the former Cracker Barrel logo.
“At CB, their goal is to just delete the personality altogether. Hence, the elimination of the ‘old-timer’ from the signage,” Steak ‘n Shake wrote. “Heritage is what got Cracker Barrel this far, and now the CEO wants to just scrape it all away.”
Conservatives and MAGA pundits have also criticized the change. Donald Trump Jr. asked what was “wrong” with Cracker Barrel in a post on X, and other critics called the change “woke.” Even on the other side of the political aisle, the X account for the Democratic Party said they think “the Cracker Barrel rebrand sucks too.”
“We believe in the goodness of country hospitality, a spirit that has always defined us. Our story hasn’t changed. Our values haven’t changed. With ‘All the More,’ we’re honoring our legacy while bringing fresh energy, thoughtful craftsmanship and heartfelt hospitality to our guests this fall,” Sarah Moore, CMO of Cracker Barrel, said in a press release.
Who Was the Man Leaning on the Barrel in the Old Cracker Barrel Logo?
Fans have speculated that Uncle Herschel is Herschel McCartney, the uncle of Cracker Barrel founder Dan Evins. McCartney was a goodwill ambassador for the company in its early days when it was founded in Tennessee in 1969, according to Cracker Barrel Insider.
But, according to the company, that’s not true.
The man is just a generic figure created by Nashville designer Bill Holley, who wrote it on a napkin in 1977. His aim was to “create a feeling of nostalgia with an old-timer wearing overalls,” according to Cracker Barrel.
Further Fallout From the Cracker Barrel Changes
The company has also gotten pushback on the remodeling of its restaurants from its worn Southern look to a modern farmhouse aesthetic as part of a $700 million transformation.
Cracker Barrel said only 30 of its 660 stores are getting the full makeover, and the gift shops and rocking chairs will remain. It also said the Uncle Herschel figure will remain on restaurant signage and menus.
In the wake of the new logo and interior makeover, shares of Cracker Barrel plunged 12% on Aug. 22, shedding $94 million in market value.
