Cracker Barrel faces customer criticism after ditching iconic 48-year-old logo for new design

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Goodbye, Old Timer. Hello, modern era. 

An iconic American restaurant chain, known for its warm and cozy southern-style comfort food, is cooking up controversy with its new logo.

After 48 years, Cracker Barrel has introduced a whole new aesthetic – but not everyone is loving it.

In fact, critics say it’s a recipe for disaster. 

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People on the ground in Pensacola, Florida – where the old logo still shines bright above the interstate – were quick to dish out criticism.

“It takes away from heritage. When you’re 81 years old, you kind of remember the way the place started,” Pensacola resident Joseph Crawford, a Vietnam veteran, told Fox News Digital. “And this has taken away from it.”

“It’s the old things that the country was founded on. The honesty. The truthfulness. Your word meaning something – seems to be forgotten,” Crawford added.

“Yeah, I think Cracker Barrel is fixing to Bud Light themselves,” Brandon Gisclair told Fox News Digital.

Gloria Coleman said she doesn’t mind the new logo.

“It is what it is… I think they’re shooting a dead horse,” Coleman said. “I mean, I think that the logo is fine. Why are they reinventing the wheel?”

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A major point of contention – the “Old Timer” or Uncle Herschel – the man in overalls, sitting on a porch and leaning against a barrel. Well, he’s history. The new logo is text-only. 

The “Old Timer” has become a much-loved symbol to millions of Americans, evoking a feeling of rustic nostalgia, especially for those looking to grab a bite to eat while on a long road trip. 

Micah Mann said he hopes the Old Country Store brings back the “Old Timer.”

“I think it’s different, you know, than it has been for sure. I think the old logo is kind of what I grew up with,” Mann said. “I remember going on road trips and just stopping at that. And I actually went here a lot as a kid… You know, it’s definitely different than what I grew up with.”

Mann said the old logo is “what they’re known for.”

Melissa Bordelon agrees. “I think the original should stick and stay because that’s what people came for was the original and that kind of genre,” she said. “It’s just…it’s awesome.”

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According to a company press release, the new logo is still “anchored in Cracker Barrel’s signature gold and brown tones” and “now rooted even more closely to the iconic barrel shape and word mark that started it all.”

Cracker Barrel is investing $700 million to transform its 660-plus restaurants across the U.S. The sweeping makeover includes “decluttered” dining rooms and updated interiors to reflect a brighter, more modern vibe.

The new logo was revealed as part of the company’s “All the More” campaign that also includes new menu offerings and a collaboration with country music singer Jordan Davis, who starred in a new commercial for the company.

“It’s different, but I get it, trying to modernize to the new 2025 world,” Mark Gradwohl said of the new look. “But it does do away with some of the old-schoolness that everybody was used to.”

Wendi Gisclair gave an emphatic “no” when asked if she would still be eating at Cracker Barrel now that the logo is changing.

“Just like American Eagle… I went into American Eagle last week and me and my son bought clothes and jeans and everything else. And… fortunately, I guess for different companies, when they decide to do their own marketing, it could backfire just like this is happening, and I’m sure a lot more people will not go to Cracker Barrel if they make this decision.”

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A representative for Cracker Barrel told Fox News Digital in a statement that the company’s values had not changed.

“Our values haven’t changed, and the heart and soul of Cracker Barrel haven’t changed,” the company said. “And Uncle Herschel remains front and center in our restaurants and on our menu. He is the face of ‘The Herschel Way,’ the foundation of how our 70,000 plus employees provide the country hospitality for which we are known. Cracker Barrel has been a destination for comfort and community for more than half a century, and this fifth evolution of the brand’s logo, which works across digital platforms as well as billboards and roadside signs, is a call-back to the original and rooted even more in the iconic barrel shape and word mark that started it all back in 1969.” 

However, shares of Cracker Barrel (CBRL) tumbled more than 12% on Thursday, the steepest drop since April.

Crawford said he thinks Cracker Barrel needs to reverse course. 

“Realize they made a mistake, put your head down and say I screwed up and get it back right,” he said.

But Crawford admitted he won’t be quitting the country-style comfort food any time soon.

“Oh, I’ll rant and rave and cuss about it a little bit, but I’ll probably still be back there eating,” Crawford said with a laugh.

Fox News Digital’s Kyle Schmidbauer, Landon Mion, Lindsay Kornick, Amanda Macias and Peter Burke contributed to this report.