Age-Old Burger Chain Joins Cracker Barrel’s Logo Debate & Fans Are Here For It

Cracker Barrel has ditched its beloved logo for a more minimalist look, which has its fans and its competition talking.

Videos by InspireMore

In recent months, the southern-inspired chain has been in the midst of a complete makeover. As part of an “All the More” campaign, around 40 locations were given modern renovations. Instead of orange walls and eclectic knick-knacks, everything was stripped bare and painted white, and the wall hangings that remained were arranged in shadow boxes.

Loyal customers have been having a hard time accepting the changes, with many saying Cracker Barrel lost its nostalgic feel. Then this week, frustration grew when the company announced a new logo.

For the new logo, the company removed the “old-timer” sketch of a man in overalls sitting by a barrel. Now, it simply reads “Cracker Barrel” and has no illustration at all.

After the restaurant added the logo to its social media profiles on August 19th, the chatter began. Political commentator Alex Bruesewitz joined on X by writing, “The destruction of a great American brand continues. The current leadership team at Cracker Barrel is totally clueless.”

Shortly after, Steak n’ Shake reposted Bruesewitz’s comment and added thoughts of its own.

“This is what happens when you have a board that does not respect their historical customers or their brand,” a spokesperson wrote on X. “At Steak n Shake, we have gone back to basics. Our tallow fries are waiting for you. Oh yeah, you can also now pay with Bitcoin!”

One day later, Steak ‘n Shake shared more thoughts, writing, “Sometimes, people want to change things just to put their own personality on things. At CB, their goal is to just delete the personality altogether. Hence, the elimination of the “old-timer” from the signage.”

“Heritage is what got Cracker Barrel this far,” the post continued. “And now the CEO wants to just scrape it all away. At Steak ‘n Shake, we take pride in our history, our families, and American values. All are welcome. We will never market ourselves away from our past in a cheap effort to gain the approval of trend seekers.”

Unfortunately for Cracker Barrel, it seems that most people share Steak ‘n Shake’s views on the logo. But a spokesperson with Cracker Barrel has assured diners that the restaurant hasn’t abandoned the core of what everyone has grown to love.

This story’s featured image is by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.