Cracker Barrel stock falls as company reports mixed earnings after rebrand controversy

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store said Wednesday the restaurant chain is focusing on enhancing its experiences for guests after it faced intense backlash over an attempted rebrand earlier this summer.

The company reported mixed fiscal fourth-quarter earnings Wednesday afternoon, and CEO Julie Masino said the company is "optimistic" about its future as it heads into next year.

The stock sank roughly 10% in after hours trading.

Here's how the company performed compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:

Masino said Cracker Barrel was grateful for customers voicing their "passion for Cracker Barrel in recent weeks" and that the company is now switching its focus.

"We conducted extensive research to inform our strategic plan, but what cannot be captured in data is how much our guests see themselves and their own story in the Cracker Barrel experience, which is what's led to such a strong response to these changes," Masino said on a call with analysts Wednesday.

The company is now focusing on innovating in the kitchen and "areas that enhance the guest experience," Masino said, with the team aiming to return to a "positive trajectory."

Still, Cracker Barrel said it expects total revenue for fiscal 2026 of $3.35 billion to $3.45 billion, compared with the $3.52 billion analysts expected, and a same-store traffic decline of 4% to 7%.

The company faced backlash last month after it announced a complete rebrand, including a redesign of its logo and a remodeling of its restaurants.

The new logo scrapped the image of a man sitting on a wooden chair leaning against a barrel, instead moving to a simpler black-and-yellow logo featuring only "Cracker Barrel," without the "Old Country Store." It had been the company's latest move in a "strategic transformation" announced in May 2024 to reenergize the brand.

The restaurants were also scheduled to undergo remodeling to align with the new vision.

But the rebrand came under intense scrutiny. Users on social media called it "soulless" and "generic," and conservatives took to X to argue that the logo change was an attempt to remove the American identity of the brand to cater to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The stock sank in the wake of the changes.

Cracker Barrel responded to the criticism, saying that the company could have "done a better job sharing who we are and who we'll always be." The chain said the man from the original logo, Uncle Herschel, would still be featured on the menu and part of the Cracker Barrel "family."

President Donald Trump even weighed in on the situation, saying 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."

The same day, the company announced a stunning reversal, shutting down the rebrand and retaining its original branding.

"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.

Masino said on the Wednesday call that four locations with the modern designs are already being reverted to the traditional "Old Timer" signage.

"That's why our team pivoted quickly to switch back to our 'Old Timer' logo and has already begun executing new marketing, advertising and social media initiatives leaning into Uncle Herschel and the nostalgia around the brand with more to come," Masino said on the Wednesday call.

She added that the company is launching "Front Porch Feedback" on Thursday to build on what Cracker Barrel has received over recent weeks. The new tool will allow reward members to comment directly to team members after every visit, Masino said.

The company also announced it was suspending all of its restaurant remodels.

Shares of the company rose after the reversal, mostly restoring its losses. Since its first announcement, Cracker Barrel lost and regained almost $100 million in market value.

"Cracker Barrel is not just an old country store or a restaurant," Masino said. "It's the front porch of America, and we take that very seriously."