After reverting to its former logo following a backlash, Cracker Barrel has also now removed or altered pages on its website involving the LGBTQ+ community and diversity, equity and inclusion groups.
The restaurant chain removed a “Pride” page from its website, as well as references on its “Culture & Belonging” page to employee-led organizations cultivating Black leaders, promoting Hispanic culture and allying with the LGBTQ+ community. The changes were first reported by CNN.
The since-deleted page has been archived by the Wayback Machine and features a list of business resource groups that include Be Bold, Hola, LGBTQ+ Alliance, Neuroverse Collective and Women’s Connect. The page says all the groups are “voluntary, employee-led organizations.”
People visiting the website are now directed to a revamped “Culture & Belonging” page that has removed all references to the employee groups.
TODAY.com has reached out to Cracker Barrel for comment.
“In connection with the Company’s brand work, we have recently made updates to the Cracker Barrel website, including adding new content and removing out-of-date content,” a Cracker Barrel spokesperson told CNN in a statement. “Several months ago, the Company also made changes to our Business Resource Groups that now focus all sponsorships or events on our corporate giving initiatives: addressing food insecurity, supporting community needs through food, and reducing food waste.”
The changes come after prominent anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck called for Cracker Barrel to remove their LGBTQ+ and DEI references on its website. He then declared “total victory” in a post on X after the website changes were made.
Cracker Barrel’s decision to remove the section of the website also comes about four years after the company rolled out a logo celebrating diversity in 2021 following the protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
“This year we even unveiled a brand-new logo! Rather than just showing one person, we wanted to feature lots of people,” the company wrote on its website in a section about the logo. “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.”
The website changes follow Cracker Barrel’s announcement on Aug. 26 that it was scrapping its new, text-only logo that removed the graphic of an old-timer in overalls leaning on a barrel while sitting in a chair.
“We thank our guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel. We said we would listen, and we have,” the company said in a statement. “Our new logo is going away and our ‘Old Timer’ will remain.”
The reversion to the previous logo that had been the company’s signature image since 1977 came after a conservative-led backlash to the change.
Cracker Barrel put out a statement on Aug. 25 saying it “could have done a better job” when making the initial logo change. A day later, it shared that it was scrapping the new logo.
The announcement came just hours after President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social about the controversy.
“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,” he wrote on his social media platform. “Have a major News Conference today. Make Cracker Barrel a WINNER again.”
Trump then applauded the company’s decision to revert to the previous logo.
“Congratulations ‘Cracker Barrel’ on changing your logo back to what it was,” he wrote on Truth Social. “All of your fans very much appreciate it.”
Ahead of the logo controversy, Cracker Barrel also drew complaints from some customers about its plans to remodel its rustic interior to a more modern look at about 60 of its 660 locations.
Cracker Barrel becomes the latest restaurant chain to roll back or eliminate DEI initiatives in the wake of pressure from Trump and conservatives. McDonald’s announced in January that it was sunsetting its DEI plans, following similar announcements by Walmart and Starbucks.
Cracker Barrel’s stock price has also suffered during the controversy, but it went up 8% on Aug. 27 after the announcement about tossing the new logo.
