Cracker Barrel Halts Plans To Remodel Restaurants Following Backlash
Cracker Barrel announces they will not be renovating any more restaurants following backlash (Photo Credit: spencerntashinajones / Instagram via Cracker Barrel Facebook)
In August, Cracker Barrel Announced They Were Changing Their Logo & Remodeling Restaurants
On August 20, Cracker Barrel made headlines when they announced they would be changing their logo after 48 years.
The restaurant, which first opened in Tennessee in 1969, has had the same logo since 1977.
When the establishment first opened, the logo was hand drawn, but by 1977 when they expanded to 13 locations, a new logo came with it.
Over the years, the colors on the logo have brightened, but the familiar face and ole timey feel stayed. A man by the name of Uncle Herchel, the founder’s real-life uncle, was displayed on the logo.
The company announced they were modernizing the logo and the restaurants with a new look that included removing Uncle Hershel from the logo.
Even before the logo change announcement, Cracker Barrel has been slowly renovating its restaurants to look more modern. According to the CEO of the company, restaurant managers and patrons were begging her to do their location next when she spoke about the changes on Good Morning America.
Cracker Barrel Received A Lot Of Backlash From Fans And Patrons
Right away, many patrons expressed their negative feelings about both the logo and the renovations, saying that it took away from the restaurant’s unique charm. While the renovations have been in the works for a while, the logo change was the last straw for many who openly said that they would never return to a Cracker Barrel again.
The company saw how the public reacted and released an official statement, which read:
“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. What has not changed, and what will never change, are the values this company was built on when Cracker Barrel first opened in 1969: hard work, family, and scratch-cooked food made with care. A place where everyone feels at home, no matter where you’re from or where you’re headed. That’s the Cracker Barrel you’ll always find.”
For many, this statement wasn’t good enough and still meant that they would be moving forward with the logo change and renovations.
A Facebook user commented, “You lost your heart and soul of who you are (or were). When you forget where you come from, you just wander, lost. You either don’t ‘get it’, or you don’t care. Either way, all farmers know, you reap what you sow.”
The comment received over 5,000 “likes” or “loves” and over 500 replies agreeing with him.
Just a few days after the company put out their statement, Cracker Barrel’s co-founder, Tommy Lowe, 93, did an interview with Nashville’s News Channel 5 and said that he did not agree with the logo change, calling the logo “bland and pitiful.“
“They’re trying to modernize to be like the competition – Cracker Barrel doesn’t have any competition. I heard she (the CEO) was at Taco Bell. What’s Taco Bell know about Cracker Barrel and country food? They need to work on the food and service and leave the barrel – the logo alone,” Lowe said.
Cracker Barrel Announces They Will Not Change The Logo
On August 26, the restaurant announced they they had listened to customer responses and have decided to go back to the “old timer” logo, which people love and adore so much.
“We thank our guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel. We said we would listen, and we have. Our new logo is going away and our “Old Timer” will remain,” their social media post read.
Cracker Barrel Has Now Halted Restaurant Renovations
On September 9, the restaurant made another announcement: they are stopping the renovations to its locations.
“You’ve shared your voices in recent weeks not just on our logo, but also on our restaurants. We’re continuing to listen,” the company said in a statement on social media . “Today, we’re suspending our remodels. If your restaurant hasn’t been remodeled, you don’t need to worry, it won’t be.”
The statement continued, “With our recent announcement that our “Old Timer” logo will remain, along with our bigger focus in the kitchen and on your plate, we hope that today’s step reinforces that we hear you.”
You’ve shared your voices in recent weeks not just on our logo, but also on our restaurants. We’re continuing to listen. Today, we’re suspending our remodels. If your restaurant hasn’t been remodeled, you don’t need to worry, it won’t be. With our recent announcement that our…
— Cracker Barrel (@CrackerBarrel) September 9, 2025
The company says only four out of their 660 locations had been renovated and they won’t do any more.
