Under pressure from Trump and the markets, the Cracker Barrel restaurant chain abandons its new logo

Full reverse in the face of accusations of "wokeness" and the red-hot Wall Street. The Cracker Barrel restaurant chain announced in a statement Tuesday evening, August 26, that it is abandoning its plan to change its logo, a week after announcing it. The decision sparked an outcry among conservatives and Trump supporters.

"We thank our customers for sharing their passion for Cracker Barrel. We promised to listen, and we have. Our new logo will disappear, and our 'Old Timer' will remain," commented the group, which described itself as a "proud American institution."

On August 19, the Lebanon, Tennessee-based company unveiled a new emblem, which simply featured the company's name on a dark yellow background. This was a stripped-down version of its predecessor, which featured the image of "Uncle Herschel," founder Dan Evins's uncle, sitting in overalls with his elbow resting on a barrel.

The disappearance of this supposed image of a traditional American farmer had then stirred up social networks. "No one asked for this 'woke' reinvention of the brand," wrote Republican elected representative to the House of Representatives Byron Donalds on X. Last week, one of Trump's sons, Donald Jr., tweeted to ask: "What the hell is going on at Cracker Barrel ?"

He had re-posted a post from the conservative account "Woke War Room" that accused the retail chain of "removing an aesthetic Americans loved and replacing it with a sterile, soulless brand." The controversy even weighed on the company's stock price, which fell by more than 10%, or nearly $100 million in value.

On Tuesday, Donald Trump intervened in the matter via a message published on his Truth Social platform. "Cracker Barrel should revert to the old logo, admit its mistake based on consumer feedback (the ultimate poll), and run the company better than ever," he wrote.

This caused Cracker Barrel's stock to rebound 6.35% on Wall Street, even before the company officially announced its reversal.

Founded in 1969, the chain serves traditional, hearty cuisine in an old-fashioned setting reminiscent of Westerns and the conquest of the West. It has 660 restaurants and generates annual revenue of $3.5 billion.

Trump supporters are very attached to it. According to electoral sociologist Dave Wasserman, in the 2024 presidential election, the Republican won on average in three-quarters of the counties across the country where there is at least one Cracker Barrel establishment.