"Cracker Barrel unveiled a sleek new logo this summer. Stripped of its folksy Uncle Herschel mascot-a denim-clad old man perched on a chair beside a barrel-the marque was replaced with a pared-down silhouette of a stylized barrel and the restaurant's name in a simplified, modern typeface. It was the product of a $700 million push intended to refresh the Southern-themed chain for a new generation."
"Oddly, it also attracted the fury of fellow dining chain Steak 'n Shake. In a series of posts on X, Steak 'n Shake's official account issued calls for Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino to be fired. It mocked the rebrand, and posted images of red MAGA-style hats that read "Fire Cracker Barrel CEO" and "Biglari was right about everything.""
"'Biglari' is a reference to activist investor (and Steak 'n Shake owner) Sardar Biglari, who owns a $54.5 million stake in Cracker Barrel. He made a 120-page presentation to Cracker Barrel shareholders in 2024. His manifesto decried the Southern dining chain's costly rebranding attempt as " obvious folly." He pushed for board seats-he wanted to be chairman-and lampooned management's "corporate myopia.""
Cracker Barrel replaced its Uncle Herschel mascot with a simplified barrel logo and modern typeface as part of a $700 million rebranding to refresh the Southern-themed chain. The rebrand prompted public ridicule from Steak 'n Shake's account, which called for CEO Julie Felss Masino to be fired and posted provocative images. Activist investor Sardar Biglari, holding a $54.5 million stake, had criticized the rebrand as " obvious folly," pushed for board seats, and amplified pressure. The market reaction erased $143 million in market value and led to reinstating old branding and pausing remodel plans.
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