Shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store jumped more than 5% on Tuesday after President Donald Trump weighed in on the restaurant chain’s polarising rebrand, urging it to restore its old logo.
The stock had slumped last week after a public backlash to the company’s new design, which removed the figure of a seated man, sparking an uproar among loyal customers and conservative commentators.
Trump’s comments on Truth Social sent the shares higher, even as the company has struggled to sustain momentum in recent years.
Trump urges a return to old logo
“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 posted on Tuesday morning.
Source: Truth Social
The president added that the company had generated “a billion dollars worth of free publicity” and urged it to hold a major press conference. “Make Cracker Barrel a WINNER again,” he wrote.
Comparisons to Bud Light backlash
Brand experts compared the controversy to Bud Light’s high-profile marketing crisis in 2023, when a promotion with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney triggered a boycott and forced Anheuser-Busch into damage control.
“Like Bud Light, Cracker Barrel ended up alienating their core customer base,” said David E. Johnson, CEO of Strategic Vision PR Group in Atlanta, in a Barron’s report.
He added that Trump’s intervention will “just keep the story in the news.”
Cracker Barrel’s stock has lost more than half its value in the last three years as sales remain sluggish in the post-pandemic era.
The shares, which are closely watched due to a relatively high level of short interest, often move sharply on news developments.
Company defends new design
The Tennessee-based chain announced on Aug. 19 that its fifth logo update was “rooted even more closely to the iconic barrel shape and word mark that started it all.”
But the removal of the “old timer” figure, inspired by founder Dan Evins’ Uncle Herschel, ignited backlash.
Donald Trump Jr. joined the criticism, calling the change “sterile, soulless branding” in a post on X.
In response, Cracker Barrel posted a lengthy note on its website, assuring customers that the man would continue to feature on menus, road signs, and in its stores.
“He’s not going anywhere — he’s family,” the company wrote, adding that staples like rocking chairs, fireplaces, peg games, and the gift shop remain unchanged.
Missed opportunity, experts say
Johnson argued that the company mishandled the rollout and its defence.
“If the rebrand was a colossal mistake, the response was even worse,” he said. “As a hospitality company, you want all of your stakeholders to buy in.”
Founded in 1969 in Lebanon, Tenn., Cracker Barrel operates nearly 660 company-owned restaurants in 43 states and also owns Maple Street Biscuit Co.
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