Struggling Cracker Barrel Plans to Lean on 'Old Timer'

Cracker Barrel said Wednesday it expects lower sales and weaker customer traffic in the coming year as the fallout over its logo change continues to play out. In a conference call with investors, Cracker Barrel said traffic at its restaurants was down 1% in early August, before it announced it was adopting a more simplified logo. The new logo dropped the image of an older man in overalls leaning on a barrel and removed the words "Old Country Store." But after the announcement on Aug. 18 and the outcry that followed from many longtime fans, restaurant traffic dropped 8%.

• Cracker Barrel said Wednesday that traffic will likely be down between 7% and 8% in the first quarter and could decline 4% to 7% for the full 2026 fiscal year, the AP reports. Cracker Barrel's shares dropped 9% in after-hours trading Wednesday.

Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino said the company conducted extensive research before releasing the new logo and launching a plan to remodel its 660 US restaurants. The company has since scrapped the new logo and halted the remodeling. Masino said the four restaurants that have been remodeled—with new paint, new lighting, more comfortable seating, and other changes—will be transitioned back to their former decor. Remodels that had begun at 58 other restaurants will also be halted, she said. "What can not be captured in data is how much our guests see themselves and their own story in the Cracker Barrel experience, which is what's led to such a strong response to these changes," Masino said during a conference call with investors Wednesday.

"Our team pivoted quickly to switch back to our 'Old Timer' logo and has already begun executing new marketing, advertising and social media initiatives leaning into Uncle Herschel and the nostalgia around the brand, with more to come," Masino said, per CNBC. "We're moving ahead with a strong plan to regain traffic and the momentum we had a month ago," Masino said. "There is a lot to be optimistic about." She said the company is launching "Front Porch Feedback," a tool that will allow reward program members to deliver feedback after every visit.