One of Agnes B.’s fondest memories is Cracker Barrel’s Thanksgiving dinner shared with relatives in West Virginia. The dinner, consisting of roasted turkey, served with cornbread and warm gravy, was a simple way of celebrating the holidays. On other occasions, B. would join the family to start the day with Uncle Herschel’s Favorite, the chain’s iconic breakfast choice.
B., a senior library volunteer, grew up in rural Virginia. While B. admits that Cracker Barrel isn’t the finest place to dine, she visits occasionally to relive the memories of a time passed. It’s a reminder of a humble upbringing, one constrained by meager income and vast corn fields.
However, with sales plummeting and customer interest declining, the Old Country Store initiated a change: removing the iconic Uncle Herschel from its logo in hopes of refreshing the brand’s status. Yet, this attempt only succeeded in riling up customers across the nation in protest.
Thus, to address the customer dissatisfaction, Cracker Barrel quickly made amends by restoring Uncle Herschel as the company’s icon. Meanwhile, many still wonder how a seemingly harmless change could become so controversial–why was removing Uncle Herschel such a mistake?
Statistics
In recent years, Cracker Barrel’s growth has stagnated significantly compared to its success in the 1990s. From $99 million in 2023, its net income dropped to $40.9 million, losing nearly $58 million in 2024.
According to the company’s CEO, there had also been a 16% decrease in customer traffic, with sales falling by 5.5%, relating to the store’s 4.9% increase in prices, which have contributed to customer dissatisfaction.
These startling statistics lay the groundwork for understanding the company’s modernization initiatives. In response to its financial struggles, the company had no other choice but to refurbish its aesthetic, one more appealing to new, younger customers.
Social studies teacher with a master’s in economics and Ph.D in history, Katharina Matro describes marketing as “a storm and a teacup”, with the fragile teacup being customer satisfaction. Matro explains that while marketing attempts to appeal to new customers, there are profound risks of employing new strategies when maintaining a brand’s aesthetic.
“A brand is also a signal about a product that you’re selling. You want your customers to be loyal, so you promise that you’re going to be consistent in what you’re offering,” Matro said.
She states that the principle of economic efficiency is optimally using all available resources, in this case, being customers. To keep pace with societal changes, companies must enhance their efficiency by attracting new customers to keep their business running.
“If you talk about the bottom line and profit margins, then [customer-based marketing] is the smart thing to do,” Matro said.“You should be doing that. Everybody else is doing that. Your competitors are doing that. You don’t want to be left behind.”
Old vs New
Controversy arose regarding Cracker Barrel’s traditional aesthetic. Finding Uncle Herschel to be a symbol of conservative homogeneity, critics have recently argued in favor of an ‘inclusive’ country appeal, one welcoming customers of all nationalities and ethnic backgrounds.
In accordance with the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion movement (DEI), which intends to reform societal structures towards diverse social representation, removing the company’s icon would have arguably contributed to a more modern, inclusive environment.
As the saying “Out with the old, in with the new” goes, English teacher Melanie MacFadden believes that the logo’s change was warranted.
“I think it was a good idea to change it because it seemed very dated. I can see how it could be interpreted as not welcoming to all populations in our country,” MacFadden said
On a similar note, social studies teacher Elizabeth Muehl believes that such changes positively reflect America’s true identity.
“America is diverse,” Muehl said. “And as a company, if the idea is to bring more customers, you want them to feel that they should go in [to the store].”
Many Americans reminisce about childhood memories spent at a McDonald’s or Burger King, eating and playing, especially amidst economic hardship. Along those lines, Cracker Barrel enthusiasts’ uproar about the logo change was generally attributed to their nostalgia for America’s Southern culture.
However, MacFadden questions the role of businesses in American identity, stating that she holds different views on these values.
“I would hope that we wouldn’t just be relying on businesses to give us a sense of identity or a sense of culture,” MacFadden said.
But customers like Agnes B. hold onto the company’s appearance out of nostalgia. Whether as a cross-state pitstop or a weekend family outing, even a simple chain restaurant has the power to hold a special place in people’s memories.
Cracker Barrel wasn’t just another eatery for Agnes B. It was a place where the family could gather. It was a place that, back in the day, attracted people from the community to sit down and chat.
To B., Uncle Herschel isn’t a symbol of backwardness, stagnation, or homogeneity as critics claim. Nor is he a political figure. Instead, Uncle Herschel represents the simple life of country folk, with Southern values of hospitality and friendliness to all. Wholesome values that shouldn’t be misconstrued as anything less.
Student Views
Amongst younger generations, however, views on Cracker Barrel’s failed initiative have been seldom, if not indifferent. Many students, when asked, were unaware of the company’s changes…or of the company’s existence as a whole.
Timothy Rodman’s Political Behavior and Psychology class has facilitated discussion on students’ differing feelings towards Cracker Barrel’s marketing strategies. Keeping students politically updated, Rodman encourages civil discussions on current events as part of the class’s syllabus.
From the class, senior Henri Serra thought the company’s proposed logo was a little bland.
“I think it’s unnecessary because…I don’t think they have to do all that to change, to try and get more young people to conform to what they’re trying to,” Serra said.
Conversely, classmate and senior Zachary Nagurney thought the logo change positively appealed to new and different customers.
“I think that it is effective, and I think that they are trying to skew things politically, broaden the horizon of which people come to their establishment,” Nagurney said.
However, a point of debate brought up in the class’s discussion is the criticism of brand modernization, which some argue is contributing to declining originality and character amongst various companies.
“Fast food restaurants aren’t popping as they normally are because they’re just modern-looking buildings now,” Serra said.
Placelessness
The vibrant colors, distinct logos and memorable mascots of beloved restaurants and chains have rapidly ceased to exist. McDonald’s no longer flaunts vibrant reds with Ronald McDonald, while Wendy’s and Burger King’s branches are easily mistaken for stylish office spaces.
Companies have dropped the kid-friendly appeal that reigned in much profit in the past. The strategy of enticing children who bring parents as customers has been replaced with an appeal to adults aged 30 and up. Are companies really trying to attract older consumers, or are there other tactics in play?
In recent years, mega corporations have been acquiring smaller franchises, such as Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut, all being owned by Yum! Brands. The world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock Inc., oversees companies such as Apple, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, and has thousands of assets valued at over $11 trillion in 2025. Additionally, Vanguard Group Inc., another mega corporation, has disclosed over 4,274 holdings, with an estimated value of around $6 trillion.
Arguably, as more franchises are bought out by larger corporations, the modern aesthetic that has overthrown brand individuality allows for easier switching between locations. When all of the chain restaurants have similar office-like layouts, less demolition is required to take down a KFC and replace it with a Pizza Hut, or any other alternative.
Many Americans are against these initiatives, which contribute to the placelessness of American society. With everything looking the same, people are struggling to distinguish between the cultural landscapes of different regions of the nation.
However, Muehl attributes this to aspects of American culture predating the developments witnessed currently. According to Muehl, brands such as Cracker Barrel have been indistinguishable long before modernization efforts.
“A Cracker Barrel is a Cracker Barrel, no matter where you go,” Muehl said. “It looks the same. If you’re going to one in Pennsylvania, New York, or North Carolina, you wouldn’t know what state you were in, just ’cause you walked into one.”
It would be hard to discern the immediate location of an American strip mall if observing an image, which arguably goes to say that modernization is doing little to alter the distinction between America’s cultural regions.
Social Justice
As the cherry on top, whether diversity marketing is a promotion of social equity or simply a marketing strategy is still up for debate. Critics have claimed Cracker Barrel removed Uncle Herschel to entice ethnic minorities to become future customers.
While some welcome corporate diversity, others think that it exploits the consumer base for profit under the guise of social justice. Matro explains appeals are less about empowerment and more about keeping up with the competitive production market by seemingly supporting a cause.
“You gauge the taste of your consumers, and then you figure out how to make your product more appealing and capture a larger customer base…But as a human and as a historian who cares about social justice, it makes me sad,” Matro said.
Consumerism vs Nostalgia
While the Cracker Barrel controversy seems shallow on the surface, it’s a much deeper chasm than most might expect. Beneath the change of a logo is an expansive cultural history, one rooted in consumerism and conflicting politics.
Some feel that to understand how a company could have such cultural significance in our society, we must recognize that America is a largely materialistic nation. Christmas is celebrated with superficial gifts and shopping sprees at the mall, far removed from the birth of Christ. Halloween is an exchange of candy in flimsy costumes, bearing no resemblance to its historic roots.
Yet, when B. recalls those Thanksgiving dinners, shared at Cracker Barrel with her loved ones and relatives, she remembers a cherished time passed. The divide instigated by a company’s reforms was less political than we make it. Instead, it was social nostalgia clashing with society’s desire to move forward.
