It’s no secret that Cracker Barrel has changed their logo. The iconic image of Uncle Herschel (or Old Timer) leaning against a barrel is gone, and instead the new design aligns with a modern aesthetic. Maybe more importantly, the tagline “Old Country Store,” that’s been a part of the logo since 1969, has also disappeared.
And then, their stock price dropped.
Total market value losses reportedly range from $94 million to $250 million since the campaign launch.
There are a whole lot of people (ME!) that never knew the name and barrel originated from barrels of soda crackers that people would stand around to chat and that were sold in small-town stores in the early 1900s. Even more people (again, ME!) didn’t know that in 1991 the company said they would stop employing those without “normal heterosexual values,” or that in 2003 they were sued for trademark infringement by Kraft over the name of their grocery line.
So why the outrage now?
Cracker Barrel’s $700 million transformation to attract younger diners has sparked backlash for abandoning nostalgic elements. The stores/restaurants are also taking on a more modern aesthetic and many don’t like that either.
From a business standpoint (remember, I’m on the ‘Create Distinction’ team), I’m not a fan of dumping Mr. Iconic that reflects the company’s name and rustic heritage, only to minimalize and conform to be like everyone else (think trends — like the Burger King and Pepsi logo rebrands). The “FEEL” to me went from nostalgic to generic.
When I think of Cracker Barrel, I think about breakfast.
CB has never been a restaurant I would choose as opposed to other options for a dinner meal. That’s not going to change. I’m still going to think of CB when I want breakfast or if traveling and want a sit-down meal that’s close to the Interstate.
But not this morning! This morning, I’ll be fixing breakfast at home — where there’s no logo and certainly no southern hospitality offered. 😉
What about you? Do you care more about the logo change or the modifications to Cracker Barrel’s brick and mortar stores/restaurants? Or… do you not care at all? Or… are you passionate about CB keeping with tradition?
Now you know: From 1977 to 2017, married couple Ray and Wilma Yoder drove a combined total of more than 5 million miles (an average of 342 miles per day) to visit 644 Cracker Barrel locations.