It was just last summer when Cracker Barrel executives offended legions of diehard fans by announcing plans to scrap their logo, deep-six fan favorite menu items and reimagine the vibe of the famed restaurant and country store.
It was all driven by a desire to be perceived as being more hip, less conservative and more politically neutral.
The strategy backfired badly.
Naturally, Cracker Barrel didn’t set out to drive their loyal fans away, but that’s exactly what happened. A social media firestorm quickly instigated a public relations crisis. The stock price tanked by more than 40% during the debacle. The revolt only abated after company officials admitted their mistakes, reversed course and worked overtime to reassure customers they were committed to restoring and reestablishing its many traditional touches.
“We thank our guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel,” the company said. “We said we would listen, and we have. Our new logo is going away and our ‘Old Timer’ will remain. At Cracker Barrel, it’s always been – and always will be – about serving up delicious food, warm welcomes, and the kind of country hospitality that feels like family. As a proud American institution, our 70,000 hardworking employees look forward to welcoming you to our table soon.”
Almost a year later, Chief Executive Julie Felss Masino told company investors that the beloved restaurant and store is thriving again by embracing the very items and attitude so many of its customers cited for driving and establishing their fanatical ties. The stock price jumped 22% this week after the company reaffirmed its commitment to its founding ideals.
Cracker Barrel has restored its popular campfire meal and dinners – and stocked store shelves with patriotic merchandise related to America’s upcoming 250th birthday celebration. Walk into any store and you can find U.S. Constitution T-shirts and any number of items featuring the American flag and the colors red, white and blue.
Unlike the broken woke brigade that loves to run down America, Cracker Barrel is raising it up.
At the same time, things still aren’t as good as they once were, and customer traffic is still down slightly year-over-year.
The ongoing challenges affirm just how quickly companies can go from “woke to broke” when they abandon their ideals and are either ignorant or indifferent to what their customers want and expect from them.
It appears Cracker Barrel was able to salvage their hard-fought reputation, although it cost them – and may still yet.
Shortly after the PR meltdown, company officials removed “LGBTQ” and “DEI” pages from its sites. As of this writing, unlike its many corporate competitors, Cracker Barrel has yet to acknowledge this year’s “Pride Month.”
In walking back from the “woke” edge, Cracker Barrel has learned some hard lessons that should be instructive and illustrative for other companies and individuals.
First, great companies don’t follow – they lead. It was the corporate sheep mentality that led to them caving last year. Sheep don’t want to be shamed – but there is nothing shameful about affirming founding principles that helped build your company and brand.
Second, only foolish and shortsighted companies are afraid to celebrate America. Our country is a miracle that was forged and founded by many people of deep Christian faith. However imperfect the United States has been over the years, its exceptionalism should be acknowledged and celebrated. We shouldn’t hide our patriotism or apologize for it.
Third, Cracker Barrel’s rebound demonstrates that Americans are a forgiving people if they feel the apology is sincere and heartfelt. If you make a mistake, admit it, correct it, and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Like any other restaurant and retail establishment, Cracker Barrel still faces the usual industry headwinds ranging from Americans eating out less to save money to the reality of the declining brick-and-mortar store. It’s impossible to know if Uncle Herschel and Company will still be around for America’s 300th birthday, but avoiding self-inflicted wounds will be one way to help increase their chances of making it happen.
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