In August 2025, Cracker Barrel’s CEO, Julie Felss Masino, sparked outrage by changing the restaurant chain’s iconic logo.
The company, as part of an attempted $700 million rebrand, announced it was replacing its 47-year-old logo, which featured the restaurant’s name next to a man sitting in a chair and leaning on a barrel.
The new, woke rebrand removed the man and the barrel, leaving just the name. She also pushed for changing the eclectic interior, opting for something cold and sterile, and then claimed the public just loved the new logo and look.
Her decisions may have ultimately cost Masino her job.
On Monday, the company announced Masino is stepping down after less than three years in the position and will be replaced by David Deno.
The outrage was so widespread, even President Trump weighed in. He said, “Cracker Barrel should go back to the old logo, admit a mistake based on customer response (the ultimate Poll), and manage the company better than ever before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “They got a Billion Dollars worth of free publicity if they play their cards right. Very tricky to do, but a great opportunity. Have a major News Conference today.”
Cracker Barrel’s co-founder Tommy Lowe was not impressed with the changes and called the new logo “pitiful.”
Lowe sat down with Newschannel5’s Carrie Sharp and had some harsh words for the woke CEO trying to destroy the business he founded.
“They’re trying to modernize to be like the competition – Cracker Barrel doesn’t have any competition. I heard she [Masino] 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.
Although the company initially doubled down, it ultimately caved to public pressure and announced a return to the beloved “Old Timer” logo.
But not before doing damage to the company and, possibly, costing Masino her job.
Per the New York Post:
Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino is stepping down after the failure of her “woke” rebrand last year, which was rolled back following intense backlash from loyal customers, the company announced Monday.
David Deno, a restaurant exec who most recently served as CEO of Bloomin’ Brands, which owns Outback Steakhouse, will replace Masino on August 10, according to a Cracker Barrel press release.
Her departure comes after less than three years at the helm, during which diners revolted against the company’s attempts to modernize the Southern dining chain by axing its beloved mascot Uncle Herschel and revamping restaurants without its telltale tchotchkes.
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