Cracker Barrel suspends plans to remodel restaurants after logo blowup

The Cracker Barrel Old Country Store logo in Pearl, Miss., is photographed, Sept. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Cracker Barrel said Tuesday it’s suspending remodels of its restaurants after criticism from many longtime fans.

The announcement came two weeks after Cracker Barrel backtracked on a separate plan to modernize and simplify its logo. Fans of the chain had also loudly criticized that move.

Lebanon, Tennessee-based Cracker Barrel said Tuesday that just four of its 660 restaurants had been remodeled as part of a test for the brand. The remodels, which began last year, added more comfortable seating, brighter lights, lighter paint and a simplified assortment of antiques but kept signature elements like fireplaces.

“We heard clearly that the modern remodel design does not reflect what you love about Cracker Barrel,” the company said in a statement. “Of course, we will continue to invest in our restaurants to make sure that they are in good shape and meet your expectations.”

Cracker Barrel announced a transformation plan in May 2024 under its new CEO, Julie Felss Masino, a former executive at Taco Bell and Starbucks. Masino said Cracker Barrel was losing its relevance and needed some changes to boost customer traffic. In addition to remodeled stores, the chain planned new dinner menu items and more efficient kitchens.

At the time, Masino said Cracker Barrel planned to remodel 25 to 30 stores in its 2025 fiscal year, which ended July 31.

“Historically, Cracker Barrel has made limited changes to our design aesthetic, and we’ve probably relied a little too much on what was perceived to be the timeless nature of our concept,” Masino said during a conference call with investors.

Masino said the company had received positive customer feedback after remodeling two stores.

“The goal, simply put, was to freshen things in such a way as to be noticeable and attractive but still feel like Cracker Barrel,” she said.

But the changes didn’t sit well with many customers, especially after Cracker Barrel announced it planned to simplify its logo and remove a picture of an overall-clad man leaning on a barrel.

“They are supposed to be taking out the old, I call it ‘antique-type’ decorations on the walls,” said Jerry Love as he stood outside of a Cracker Barrel in Vicksburg, Mississippi, late last month. “I’m very conservative and old so I like those and rather that they didn’t.”

AP Video Journalist Sophie Bates contributed from Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Dee-ann Durbin, The Associated Press