Fox News suddenly interrupted regular programming with a breaking news alert as American restaurant chain Cracker Barrel announced its return to the original logo following intense backlash, including criticism from President Trump.
The country-style restaurant chain has encountered pushback in recent years over design changes and diversity initiatives.
But on Tuesday, company leaders revealed the brand is going back to its heritage with the traditional barrel-and-chair logo that patrons have recognized for decades.
The declaration arrived just hours after Trump had commented on the rebrand, posting that, “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.
“They got a Billion Dollars’ worth of free publicity if they play their cards right,” Trump said in a Truth Social post, just a day after Cracker Barrel told customers the company could have handled its rebranding better than it did.
“Very tricky to do, but a great opportunity. Have a major News Conference today. Make Cracker Barrel a WINNER again,” Trump wrote.
On Tuesday evening, following the announcement, Trump addressed the company once more in a post, “Congratulations ‘Cracker Barrel’ on changing your logo back to what it was. All of your fans very much appreciate it.
“Good luck into the future. Make lots of money and, most importantly, make your customers happy again!” White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich revealed he had a conversation with the company earlier in the evening.
Trump’s remarks came almost a week after his son, Donald Trump Jr., criticized the company for its rebranding, and following a drop in the company’s stock after the new logo was unveiled.
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“WTF is wrong with @CrackerBarrel??!” Trump Jr. posted on X last Wednesday, echoing the sentiments of some conservatives.
As part of its image overhaul, Cracker Barrel removed the “Uncle Herschel” character leaning against a barrel from its logo.
David Johnson, CEO of branding agency Strategic Vision PR Group, told CBS that the rebrand was a “flop”.
“What they did wrong is they went against their brand story, which was the old logo, that reflected the southern, whimsical atmosphere in the stores.”
The company’s shares plunged by approximately 7% following the announcement.