One of America’s restaurant chains, Cracker Barrel, received several backlashes over the past few months. One of the main reasons for this was that the company wanted to change the logo after many years. Many people were unhappy about this change and even expressed their discontent on social media. Now, the restaurant is making more headlines about the closure of several of its Maple Street Biscuit Company locations.
Background on the backlash against Cracker Barrel
Earlier this year, Cracker Barrel attempted to rebrand its logo. This change was not well-received by those who have been loyal customers of the company. It came to the point where the company’s values came into question and claims about the company wanting to become more woke.
This backlash from consumers resulted into over a $700 million rebrand attempts this summer. The company wanted to make the logo more simplified and modernised, but it proved divisive with the loyal diners of the restaurant. Many of these diners favours the 1977 “old timer” logo. In addition, Cracker Barrel later reversed the plans it had to roll out the revamped logo following the outcry of the public.
It has been stated that the company confirmed that its logo will not be changing after receiving backlash from the public over the designs. The company has issued a statement; “We thank our guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel, we said we would listen, and we have. Our new logo is going away, and our “Old Timer” will remain.”
Closure of the Biscuit Company locations
Now the company is set to close 14 Maple Street Biscuit Company restaurants in the fiscal year 2026. The company is receiving another dissatisfied response from the public due to this decision. The Maple Street Biscuit restaurants were acquired by Cracker Barrel for $36 million in 2019.
Similar to what Cracker Barrel has to offer, Maple Street also serves Southern comfort food which includes biscuits and fried chicken. However, Maple Street offers a more modern atmosphere compared to Cracker Barrel, despite the fact that it is trying to maintain a country vibe.
The company recorded about a $16.2 million impairment charge that has been associated with Maple Street’s low performance. It has been stated that Maple Street had 28 company owned, Including five franchised locations in seven states at the time of this acquisition. The number of these biscuit companies had since been expanded to 68 restaurants. However, the company’s growth has now reportedly ground to a halt.
The public’s opinion
Craig Pommells who is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Cracker Barrel, the company decided to slow down Maple Street’s unit growth. This will be done in the short term, giving them time to improve their business model. This is also part of the focus the management have to investing in the Cracker Barrel business.
In addition, this same CEO previously insisted that the restaurant chain, Cracker Barrel, is now moving in the right direction. The company drew national attention for its widely criticized rebrand attempt that occurred earlier this year. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Julie Felss Masino, told investors that the company has already taken steps to get back on track.
She also stated that the chain wants “longtime fans and new guests to experience the full story of the people, places, and food that makes Cracker Barrel so special”. She further alluded to the fact that their team has been pivoted quickly to switch back to the company’s old-timer logo. After this, the company already staretd with the execution of new marketing, advertising, and social media initiatives. It, therefore, leaned into Uncle Herschel, and the nostalgia around the brand with more to come.