Food critic defends Cracker Barrel rebrand against woke criticism

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Cracker Barrel board member raises eyebrows with DEI history

'Outnumbered' discusses backlash to Cracker Barrel's rebrand after the company lost $100 million in value.

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A Boston Globe food critic defended Cracker Barrel’s controversial rebrand in a new piece, mocking detractors as having "biscuits for brains."

"It would be nice if every single small thing did not now have to become a pawn in a ginned-up culture war," Devra First wrote Tuesday. "However, the Tennessee-based restaurant chain Cracker Barrel has rebranded, and according to some people with biscuits for brains, its new logo is ‘woke.’ There is so much to be outraged about. This isn’t it."

Cracker Barrel has faced backlash since unveiling a text-only logo on Aug. 18 that removed its longtime "Uncle Herschel" character. The chain has also come under fire for remodeling its restaurants, swapping its nostalgic country-kitsch decor for a brighter, contemporary look.

At the same time, the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs have drawn criticism from conservative activist Robby Starbuck, who has targeted similar policies at other major brands.

The Cracker Barrel Old Country Store logo is displayed on a large rooftop sign in Mount Arlington, New Jersey, on Aug. 22, 2025.  (Gregory Walton/AFP via Getty Images)

CRACKER BARREL DISMISSES CRITICS AS 'VOCAL MINORITY' WHILE RIVAL RESTAURANT ADDS TO BACKLASH

"This was a refresh for a restaurant founded in 1969," First scoffed. "People reacted as if a historic landmark were being defaced."

She noted that the rebrand was aimed at attracting new customers, after CEO Julie Felss Masino said last year the company needed to stay "relevant."

First also pushed back on Starbuck’s claim that the redesign is part of a broader effort to abandon Cracker Barrel’s traditional customer base. The company previously faced some right-wing criticism for celebrating Pride Month by painting its iconic rocking chairs in rainbow colors.

"It was very much about a logo, until the involvement of those who would define American pride so narrowly," First argued. She recalled a recent lunch at Cracker Barrel where she saw a diverse mix of customers across ages, races, and backgrounds.

View of the entrance of the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in Mount Arlington, New Jersey on Aug. 22, 2025.  (Gregory Walton/AFP via Getty Images)

CONSERVATIVE ACTIVIST SLAMS CRACKER BARREL; COMPANY LEFT REELING AFTER LOGO REDESIGN

"Lunch at Cracker Barrel showed me why they care," she wrote about the company's critics.

"We were all equally welcome. It doesn’t matter what’s on the sign. There’s a seat for everyone at the table, and that’s not going to change."

Starbuck fired back, telling Fox News Digital, "The fact that some braindead legacy media puppets still want to pretend this is just about a logo is hilarious."

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