Cracker Barrel will stop its store modernization program following backlash among consumers over the brand’s changes to its logo, the company said this week.
The brand said the decision was also informed by the results of market testing: “We had tested this design in only four out of 660 locations, and we won’t continue with it.”
Consumer criticism of the remodel predated the height of the logo backlash, which began in late August, by at least several weeks. Several viral Tik Tok videos denigrating the remodels were posted between April and early August. TikTok users criticized the brighter, modern farmhouse-style design.
The casual dining chain said in the statement that “the vintage Americana you love will always be here — the rocking chairs on the porch, our fireplaces and peg games, unique treasures in our gift shops and antiques pulled straight from our warehouse.”
The brand said it has a “bigger focus in the kitchen and on your plate,” and expressed hope that angry consumers would be mollified.
In recent years, the chain has deployed a series of new strategies to improve its performance with customers. In 2023, Cracker Barrel added a loyalty program in an effort to stem sliding traffic. Last year, the chain began testing a major menu overhaul as part of a strategic turnaround effort, and it began emphasizing social media, including Tik Tok, in hopes of drawing younger consumers.
According to the chain’s most recent 10-Q, the early results of that strategic shift were ambiguous. On the one hand, it saw comparable restaurant sales increase by 1% year over year in fiscal Q3. On the other hand, that growth was driven entirely by changes to its average check size — which includes shifts like price increases and changes in menu mix — and traffic was actually down 5.6% in Q3. That predated the anger over its logo change, which dented sales still further, according to Bloomberg.
The remodel program was part of the chain’s multiyear turnaround effort and it planned to complete between 50 and 60 remodels or refreshes in 2025, according to its 10-Q. The end of its remodel program will help the brand save on capital expenditure, but it still faces the problem of an aging storebase, and further changes to its brand identity will likely face intense social media scrutiny.
