Cracker Barrel, the iconic American restaurant chain headquartered in Lebanon, Tennessee, finds itself at the center of a heated culture war debate, drawing ire from conservative activists and public figures. The company started in 1969. In the process, it has created a toxic nostalgic and faux rustic aesthetic that transports people to before World War II even happened. The logo features “Uncle Herschel,” a character that personifies the store’s founder. Today’s agriculture Davy is portrayed as a cantankerous, toothless septuagenarian in overalls, sitting in a barrel, legs crossed. With the release of newsworthy events surrounding the company’s brand choices and involvement in social justice issues, consumers are pouncing on them for their opportunistic decisions.
For the last few years, sales at Cracker Barrel have flatlined, due in large part to its increasingly dated brand image. The company has been taking steps to update its brand, though some of those moves have met with mixed reactions. Under CEO Julie Felss Masino’s leadership, Cracker Barrel has made a radical shift for its brand. Met with widespread criticism, these new developments have swapped the restaurant’s quaint American charm for what critics call “sterile, soulless branding.” This change has led to considerable conservative pushback, who see it as a move away from core, conservative, oft-rabidly–right values.
The fight blew up after Cracker Barrel’s support for pride initiatives—support for the queer community, it seems, isn’t good business—drew fire from right-wing talking heads and activists. Donald Trump Jr. publicly rebuked the chain on social media for its perceived liberal stance, urging supporters to boycott the restaurant. In a posted statement on August 19, Trump promised, “Make Cracker Barrel great again. Before I knew it, I had changed the United States of America into the ‘HOTTEST’ country on the planet. All of you out there are definitely paying attention! One year ago, it was ‘DEAD.’ Good luck!
In late September, Christopher Rufo, a key architect of today’s culture wars, caused a conservative uproar by questioning Cracker Barrel’s brand. He conducted these discussions with fellow activist Robby Starbuck, stoking the fuse. Reputation Rufo has become a key leader of the right-wing culture warriors’ movement. He is an outspoken advocate of tough tactics—legal and otherwise—against businesses that he perceives to be advancing leftist causes. He announced, “You need to be a little bit ruthless, a little bit brutal in the pursuit of something good.” His words reflect a broader, long-term strategy among conservatives to recapture the country’s cultural institutions.
Rufo described Cracker Barrel’s current predicament as a “microcosm of the parasitic operating procedure of leftwing activists” with a “soulless, godless, hedonistic vision of the future.” He argues that even if individuals do not have a personal stake in Cracker Barrel, they should still be concerned about the ideological capture of American institutions. Regardless of whether Hooked on Cracker Barrel is our singular focus, we need to fight against the ideological takeover of American institutions. Therefore we must use every ounce of power to derail it. And for that to happen, the Barrel needs to be busted.
The pushback against Cracker Barrel is nothing new. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the company was subjected to massive demonstrations for firing employees that they thought might be gay. This backlash led the department to enter into a consent decree with the Justice Department to overhaul its management practices after accusations of racial segregation surfaced. With these incidents, Cracker Barrel has become a lightning rod for debates about corporate responsibility and social equity.
Unfavorable coverage is piling up as Cracker Barrel moves toward a more corporate corporate identity. As the company attempts to address contemporary social justice issues, it kindles divisive uproar. Those who defend the company’s recent moves generally point to the growing corporate America value inclusivity and diversity. Opponents argue that in doing all of this, it erodes the core cultural operating principles that they feel the discount food purveyor used to represent.
These recent developments have opened a floodgate of discussions debating the appropriateness of corporate involvement in social movements. Today, companies are balancing pros and cons to their branding and high societal expectation and pressure. Observers note that Cracker Barrel’s experience is symptomatic of bigger trends in American society. Companies aren’t just navigating shifting cultural norms, they’re facing a cultural backlash from specific groups of consumers.