Cracker Barrel Shares Clarification About “New” Dining Rule For Employees
on Feb 03, 2026
Cracker Barrel Faces Intense Public Backlash
Cracker Barrel found itself at the center of intense public backlash after debuting its new logo earlier last summer.
The updated design featured a simplified appearance, replacing the brand’s longtime imagery with bold script lettering on a gold background. The most notable change was the removal of the company’s iconic “old man and barrel” emblem, a fixture of the Cracker Barrel identity for over five decades.
Company executives initially positioned the rebrand as part of a broader strategy to attract younger consumers and revitalize aging restaurant interiors. However, the response was swift and overwhelmingly negative.
Longtime customers and brand loyalists took to social media to criticize the redesign as “soulless” and “corporate,” saying it erased the charm and nostalgia that defined the Cracker Barrel experience.
Shortly after the backlash, Cracker Barrel released an official statement addressing the new logo and rebranding.
In the statement, the company acknowledged the strong public reaction and emphasized that the redesign was part of a broader effort to “modernize the brand experience” while “remaining true to its roots.”
“If the last few days have shown us anything, it’s how deeply people care about Cracker Barrel. We’re truly grateful for your heartfelt voices. You’ve also shown us that we could’ve done a better job sharing who we are and who we’ll always be,” the company said.
RELATED: Cracker Barrel Shares Statement After Intense Backlash Over New Logo & Rebranding
Cracker Barrel Clarifies Certain Rules For Employees
In January, the company announced it was bringing back several all-time favorites, offering guests a nostalgic return to some of the chain’s most iconic dishes.
The chain shared it would now be offering their classic “Hamburger Steak,” a menu item since the brand’s debut in 1969, and Eggs in the Basket.
Along with those menu items, it was also reported that Cracker Barrel was implementing a few more changes this year. One of those changes allegedly involved employees, and their travel plans.
Cracker Barrel previously explained that “employees are expected to dine at a Cracker Barrel store for all or the majority of meals while traveling, whenever practical, based on location and schedule.”
The guidance also states that alcohol purchases made during business travel are not eligible for reimbursement, unless employees obtain advance approval from senior leadership for special occasions.
However, the company addressed such claims, and said while it is a company rule, it “is not new.”
“The policy for employees to dine at Cracker Barrel while traveling for business, whenever practical based on location and schedule, is not new. Also, it is not the only place that our employees may eat when on the road, as previously reported,” Cracker Barrel said in a statement to USA TODAY.
