Cracker Barrel Reverts to Former Branding Plan

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (NASDAQ:CBRL) will scrap its controversial rebranding plan, the family restaurant chain announced Tuesday.The company also communicated the plan directly to the White House, prompting congratulations from President Donald Trump, who had called for the move earlier Tuesday.“We thank our guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel. We said we would listen, and we have. Our new logo is going away and our ‘Old Timer’ will remain,” the company said in a statement.“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.”Cracker Barrel’s stock rose in after-hours trading in the heels of the announcement. They opened Wednesday morning rose $3.15, or 5.5%, to $60.61. The announcement came just hours after Trump had weighed in on the rebrand, writing 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.