Just in: Cracker Barrel restores old logo featuring Uncle Herschel after meltdown

The chain faced a furious backlash to the new logo, which had been largely unchanged since 1977

Uncle Herschel was on the job at the Cracker Barrel in Milford, Connecticut, on Saturday. (Rolando Pujol)

Following an epic backlash and the vaporization of millions in stock-market value, Cracker Barrel just announced that Uncle Herschel is coming out of his brief and tumultuous retirement. The Southern comfort food chain has reversed course and is restoring the logo that was dropped in favor of a simplified design that did not feature Uncle Herschel and his cracker barrel.

I saw this decision to drop Uncle Herschel not in the context of the “woke wars” of our time but as another example of misguided corporate thinking. In an era when nostalgia reigns and authenticity is revered, Cracker Barrel still retained both, with its homey dining rooms, cluttered shops, and old-timey logo, largely unchanged since 1977.

Like a lot of other chains, Cracker Barrel decided to modernize, and paid a price unlike any other has to date.

Per the company:

“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. 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."

On Monday, Cracker Barrel addressed the logo change and seemed to be sticking to its decision. The company reversed course Tuesday evening, hours after President Donald Trump weighed in to defend the 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 in part on social media.

I wonder whether they’ll back away from plans to modernize their dining rooms, too. Probably.

Perhaps if Cracker Barrel leadership had read my Pizza Hut Classic post, they would have known not to mess with the good thing they had.

What do you think about the Cracker Barrel logo saga?