By Suzanne Bowdey

A year ago this month, America was in a full-blown uproar over the radical makeover of a beloved restaurant chain known for its therapeutic chicken and dumplings. Now, 12 months after Cracker Barrel’s disastrous rebrand, karma (and the unemployment office) has come calling for CEO Julie Masino. The longtime restaurant executive is out after her soulless reinvention of a nationwide classic. And Uncle Herschel’s fans couldn’t be happier. 

Masino isn’t a household name. But then again, neither was Alissa Heinerscheid, the architect of the most spectacular brand collapse in recent history. While Cracker Barrel’s fallout wasn’t nearly the market crash that Bud Light’s was after the Dylan Mulvaney partnership, it was certainly less excusable after the beer company became a corporate cautionary tale for the ages. 

Ironically, Masino was hired in July of 2023, just as public backlash against Anheuser-Busch was hitting a fever pitch. According to Cracker Barrel’s board, they wanted an “innovator” who would bring in new customers. No one imagined that her approach would be a woke overhaul that sterilized everything the country had come to love about the down-home front-porch chain. 

Removing the image of Uncle Herschel from the logo was Masino’s first mistake, followed by the decision to strike “Old Country Store” from its signs. Claiming the company was “not as relevant as we once were,” she oversaw other changes to the dining room’s antique, folksy decor. On the whole, Masino seemed to be on a crusade to sterilize the chain of its charm — a mission that caused everyone, including the president of the United States — to erupt in protest. 

An avalanche of criticism rained down across social media platforms, causing market experts to scratch their heads at the departure. It’s “Brand Destruction 101,” Robby Starbuck argued. “They’re trying to ditch their previous customers and vibe, right? They want to say, ‘No, we’re going to be fresh and modern.’” But, he warned, “I don’t believe this was just about a logo change and a fresh new look. I think this was about rejecting what they see as sort of a redneck old image that they had, right? And it’s a slap in the face of their customers, because there’s nothing wrong with the image that Cracker Barrel already had,” Starbuck said. “That’s where you see a big separation between the executive class and the American people.”

Donald Trump, whose son was incredibly blunt about his opinion in his “WTF?!” post, took to Truth Social to urge the company to return to its roots. “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.” In the businessman’s mind, “They got a Billion Dollars worth of free publicity if they play their cards right,” he insisted. “Very tricky to do, but a great opportunity. Have a major News Conference today. Make Cracker Barrel a WINNER again,” Trump wrote.

Leadership would have had a powerful reason to listen, given the chain’s $100 million loss in market value—almost overnight. Even other restaurants were starting to pile on, shaming Cracker Barrel for alienating its customer base. Steak ‘n Shake’s official account blasted the goal “to just delete the personality altogether.” “Heritage is what got Cracker Barrel this far, and now the CEO wants to just scrape it all away. At Steak 'n Shake, we take pride in our history, our families, and American values. All are welcome. We will never market ourselves away from our past in a cheap effort to gain the approval of trend seekers.”

And the changes weren’t just superficial, Starbuck warned, pointing to Cracker Barrel’s sudden alignment with LGBT extremists at the Human Rights Campaign. Under Masino, the chain announced a return to Pride celebrations and activism. “Along with ensuring educational resources and inclusivity practices are upheld every day, Cracker Barrel will also be returning to Nashville Pride and the Out & Equal Workplace Advocates Conference. There are many ways we encourage bringing your authentic self to work!” the company announced. 

In other words, Starbuck pointed out, they’re “virtue signaling to a group of people that frankly don’t go to Cracker Barrel and never have gone to Cracker Barrel, don’t want to go to Cracker Barrel.” It’s “very concerning.” 

Fortunately, after a week-long shellacking, leadership made a snap decision to abandon the project. “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 stressed. “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.” 

Within hours, the company’s stock skyrocketed above the pre-controversy value. Now, months later, the board is making it clear with Masino’s ouster that peg games, rocking chairs, nostalgic candy, and American values are here to stay.

“Following a robust and thoughtful search process, we are pleased to welcome David [Deno] as Cracker Barrel’s next CEO,” Independent Chairman of the Cracker Barrel Board Carl Berquist told reporters late last month. “He brings decades of experience across the restaurant and retail industries, with a strong track record of leading businesses through growth and a demonstrated commitment to operational excellence, guest experience, and team member engagement. … We wish Julie all the best in her future endeavors.”

As Jerry Bowyer, CEO of Bowyer Research, shared, a lot of behind-the-scenes effort went into the victory that customers are enjoying. Last fall, his firm filed with the SEC urging shareholders to vote against Cracker Barrel’s directors. “We argued that Cracker Barrel’s board should be held accountable for severe stock underperformance, strategic mistakes, and a growing disconnect between the company and the customers who built the brand.”

Sure, he acknowledged, “The logo controversy made headlines, but we viewed it as a symptom rather than the underlying problem. Over several years, Cracker Barrel appeared to be drifting away from the customers who made the brand successful. The company pursued recognition from groups such as the Human Rights Campaign while making changes to branding, store design, and corporate messaging that many long-time customers viewed as out of step with the traditions and identity that made Cracker Barrel successful,” Bowyer noted. “Shareholders were left watching performance lag while customer goodwill eroded.”

Although Masino survived the vote at the time, her support eroded by a dramatic percent, “well below the levels often seen in uncontested director elections,” Bowyer observed. “Director Gilbert Dávila did even worse, reportedly receiving majority opposition from shareholders and ultimately losing his board seat. Director elections,” he pointed out, “are one of the few opportunities investors have to signal concern before larger consequences arrive. Last year, Bowyer Research argued that Cracker Barrel needed greater accountability and a renewed focus on customers, execution, brand stewardship, and shareholder value. We took that position when much of the commentary suggested management’s strategy deserved the benefit of the doubt.”

Now, months after Jerry and Americans across the country took that stand, “the board has changed, the CEO is leaving, and many of the concerns shareholders raised look considerably less controversial than they did a year ago.” The bottom line, he reiterates, is the bottom line. “When management loses touch with customers, performance suffers. When performance suffers long enough, accountability follows.”

Suzanne Bowdey serves as editorial director and senior writer at The Washington Stand.

This article originally appeared here.