Cracker Barrel CEO Steps Down as Logo Rebrand Sparks Culture-War Backlash

Julie Masino, who became chief executive of Cracker Barrel in 2023, announced her resignation this week. The company is providing her with security personnel, a measure the report links to the intense online backlash that followed Cracker Barrel’s minimalist logo change last August. The new design eliminated the iconic barrel and “Old-Timer” figure that had long identified the chain.

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Masino was hired to rejuvenate a brand whose core customer base had aged and whose sales were slipping against rivals such as Chili’s and Texas Roadhouse. The report notes that the chain recorded four consecutive quarters of sales growth before unveiling the new logo. The redesign was part of a broader effort to modernize dining areas and update the menu. Within days of the rollout, a wave of criticism erupted on social media, framing the change as evidence of “wokification.”

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Cracker Barrel quickly reversed the redesign, reinstating the “Old-Timer” logo and shelving planned restaurant remodels. Masino embarked on a public apology tour, appearing on conservative commentator Glenn Beck’s podcast in November. During the interview she expressed a desire to restore goodwill with the brand’s patrons.

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• “I want people to love this place,” — Julie Masino, week that CEO

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