Cracker Barrel announced on Aug. 26 that it is abandoning its controversial new logo and bringing back the familiar “Old Timer” design.
“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 to USA TODAY. “Our new logo is going away and our ‘Old Timer’ will remain.”
The restaurant and country store chain, widely recognized for its homestyle meals and nostalgic feel, introduced the updated logo on Aug. 19 as part of its fall menu rollout. Executives said the streamlined design was meant to modernize the brand and shift the dining atmosphere toward a more contemporary style.
But the rollout quickly met resistance. Customers voiced frustration online, and both President Donald Trump and the Democratic Party criticized the change.
“All of your fans very much appreciate it,” Trump posted on Truth Social after the reversal. “Make lots of money and, most importantly, make your customers happy again!”
When asked whether Trump’s comments influenced the decision, Cracker Barrel did not immediately respond.
On Aug. 25, after unveiling the simplified logo days earlier, the company acknowledged the backlash in a message on its website: “If the last few days have shown us anything, it’s how deeply people care about Cracker Barrel. We’re truly grateful for your heartfelt voices. You’ve also shown us that we could’ve done a better job sharing who we are and who we’ll always be.”
Support pours in after rollback
The decision to return to the “Old Timer” was met with praise.
“Kudos to their team for making a great decision and may many happy memories and delicious meals continue for the next generation,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-TN, posted on X.
Fans also cheered the move on Instagram. “WE ARE SO BACK,” wrote Brantley McDonald of North Carolina. Brandon Weems of Tennessee summed it up more bluntly: “bullying works.”
The Tennessee-based chain had seen its stock fall 7% on Aug. 21 after the logo change, but shares rebounded—climbing more than 9.5% in after-hours trading by the evening of Aug. 26, according to Yahoo Finance.
The now–abandoned logo was part of a broader redesign strategy that many critics rejected. “Cracker Barrel always stood out for its uniqueness, but now it’s nothing more than a Denny’s with a gift shop,” Destiny Alexander told the Victorville Daily Press—a part of the USA TODAY Network.
