Cracker Barrel - Destroying The Brand

Lawrence00

Lawrence00

Senior Member
Cracker Barrel has had a unique brand and character for decades. That country atmosphere in the decorations, the rocking chairs out front. Takes decades to distinguish a company.

This new CEO has made the logo very unremarkable (ugly). The new decorations tack old time tools up on a poster board like a grade school art project. The recognizable homey chairs ... gone. They even have McDonalds style booths installed.

Stock price is diving.

Cracker Barrel loses almost $100 million in value as stock plunges after new logo release
 

I personally thought these changes were a poor decision, and I'm not suprised Cracker Barrel is facing backlash and has seen its stock prices plummet. In these days of political unrest and economic uncertainty, people want the comfort of that which is familiar, and in my opinion these changes are not only poorly timed but also soulless—a far cry from the homey atmosphere the chain has had for more than 50 years.

I don't care for their food, so I'm not sure if our local Cracker Barrel has made these changes because I don't go there. If they're chain-wide, then it probably did.
 
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I can't really say I have a dog in the fight because the one that was over in Portland closed down. I don't think it was due to lack of response, I think it was more because of the street people hanging around and stealing stuff from the porch.

I do agree the design change is not agreeable, but changing the interior is a very bad mistake. I know Black Bear Diner had similar issues a couple of years back and decided to stay with the way they are promoting themselves.

As the old saying goes "if it ain't broke don't fix it" however I've heard the CEO was from Taco Bell, another fast food place which she wrecked.
 

My older brother and his wife were both fans of Cracker Barrel.

I’ve never been in one, for no particular reason.

I enjoy the type of food that they offer but I wonder if it may have become a thing of the past for many of today’s health conscious folks.

Sadly, biscuits, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, and pie are being nudged out in favor of kale, salmon, and yogurt. 😉🤭😂
 
Rarely go to one, but when I have I've loved their fried catfish, mashed potatoes and green beans. It's comfort food for this guy who was raised in the South. I doubt any change in logo will change that, but then I'm not their core demographic. Who goes to a restaurant (or doesn't go) because of the logo? If the food is good, I don't care if the logo is a flying pig. How hardcore do you have to be? A Cracker?

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1958538048867586184
 
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My son and I were just laughing about Cracker Barrel yesterday. Apparently they had a choice of a plant based breakfast sausage on their menu and it caused a big ruckus from their regulars who didn't want their favorite old timey restaurant to be "woke."

Who knew sausage could be woke? Anyway, they buckled under the pressure and took it off the menu but still have some in the kitchen if you ask for it. Sort of like the speakeasies during prohibition. My son and I were all set to go just to get some bootleg sausage, but now I expect we wouldn't be able to find it.
 
They had great tasting biscuits and sausage or bacon with gravy. I noticed it was temporarily removed from the menu during my last trip south. The waitress told us, the item would return in the fall. I think Bob Evans may still serve this breakfast item, if so, I will have my breakfast there when I travel. I fell for this breakfast when I was in Tennessee back in 1980’s.
 
Some of us where I live used to go to Cracker Barrel at Thanksgiving, since it was one of only a few places that were open on Thanksgiving Day. I enjoyed the food and looking through the store up front, but there was always a long time getting a table because they don't accept reservations. Also, it was very noisy and the staff seemed overworked and rushed. I wasn't that comfortable with the environment. Maybe it would have been better had I gone when it wasn't a holiday.
 
I have eaten there a few times, when I was staying at a hotel and CB was next door, walking distance. Fried okra and fried chicken livers. Yum! Not what I would call a "healthy" meal but now and then (once a year, perhaps?) isn't going to kill ya and those are foods I would not cook at home. Where else could one go to get that? After the meal, I sat on the porch rocking away, which certainly beat going back to the hotel room.

It's a quaint place, IMO, but I wouldn't go there on a regular basis even if there was one in this area. However, I can see how these changes can be detrimental to their business.
 
Found this write up a while back.

Cracker Barrel restaurants are a place of comfort. The rocking chairs on their front porches set the tone with an invitation to sit and stay awhile. This warm and fuzzy feeling carries over into the firelit dining room where old photographs and old-timey decor line the walls. Guests gobble down a heaping plate of down-home Southern-style cuisine at a wooden table just like the one you would find at grandma's house. And, believe it or not, that's just the half of it.

On the other side of the chain's roadside buildings, you'll find a quaint old country store. Here, patrons can find clothing, collectibles, toys, kitchen must-haves, and, everybody's favorite, retro candy. We're talking about nostalgic treats that haven't touched your taste buds in years — the ones you can't pick up at any ol' gas station or Walmart. Cracker Barrel houses a time capsule of vintage sweets that will send you on a tasteful trip down memory lane.
 
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