Cracker Barrel unveiled a simplified wordmark in late August, dropping the illustrated white man leaning on a barrel as part of a broader refresh. The rollout drew sharp backlash from conservative media and social platforms, and the company's stock fell after the reveal. The company said communication fell short, reiterated focus on food and hospitality, and clarified that Uncle Herschel has not been replaced, calling him family. The chain began in the late 1960s near Interstate 40 in Lebanon, Tennessee, with an old-country-store aesthetic. The illustrated figure was added in the late 1970s as the brand scaled. The minimalist signage aims to modernize while retaining elements for loyal customers.
Cracker Barrel unveiled a simplified wordmark in late August, dropping the familiar, illustrated white man leaning on a barrel, as part of a wider refresh of stores and branding. The rollout drew sharp backlash from conservative media and related social platforms, and the company's stock fell after the reveal. In a public statement, the company said the communication fell short, reiterated the brand's focus on food and hospitality, and clarified that Uncle Herschel hasn't been replaced. "He's not going anywhere, he's family," the statement read.
Cracker Barrel has been around since the late-1960s when the highway-adjacent concept was created by Dan Evins to capture the imaginations of travelers and sell food and gasoline. The first unit went up by Interstate 40 in Lebanon, Tennessee, and the look was curated to resemble an old country store, by then already a symbol of a bygone era. The illustrated old-timer wasn't even part of the original logo, but was added as the brand scaled in the late 1970s.
If a private trademark feels like heritage, it says as much about how corporations package memory, and sell cultural identity, as it does about the actual past itself. The new signage shows a minimalist wordmark, common for national chains hoping to reach new generations of Hashbrown Casserole eaters, while reassuring, and keeping, loyal regulars. The company's statement, entitled "Our Promise to You" attempts to mollify everyone seated at the table, and promises vestiges of the old signs will remain.
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