“Woke” Is How The Cracker Crumbles
I’ll be the first to admit that I am not a Cracker Barrel fan. I think in my lifetime, I have had lunch there twice, and neither time was I making the choice. That said, the restaurant has a very loyal following, and my understanding is that the attraction is based on the entire package, down-home food, atmosphere, and friendly service.
The controversy started a while back when Cracker Barrel started testing store remodels. Not surprisingly, the remodels were not popular. People like what they like, and the new “sterilized” interiors were widely disparaged.
The explanation, of course, is that the people who are now in charge have gone “woke,” and frankly, they don’t give a damn what their customers think. The current Cracker Barrel CEO is Julie Felss Masino, who is the picture of “wokeness.” Masino spent many years running Taco Bell. She’s also been with Starbucks and Fisher-Price.
These changes reek of someone trying to put her leftist stamp on an established restaurant chain. In an interview with Good Morning America, Masino told Michael Strahan this lie:
“Honestly, the feedback’s been overwhelmingly positive that people like what we’re doing.”
She added that at a meeting in Orlando, managers were running up to her, begging to have their stores remodeled, which sounds like another woke delusion. There has been no positive publicity since these remodels began.
This week, Masino took things a step further by unveiling the restaurant’s new logo. This change eliminated the picture of an older gentleman leaning against a barrel and replaced it with the very generic name-only sign.
Cracker Barrel shed almost $200 million in market value after its stock plunged today following the release of the new logo. Shares of the restaurant fell as much as $8.74, or almost 15 percent, in today’s trading, shaving as much as $194.6 million from the company’s market value. The stock regained some ground in early afternoon trading, with shares down $8.19, or 13.9 percent, to $50.84.
Wall Street’s reaction to the logo redesign is a cumulative result of Cracker Barrel’s new woke image that ignores the 55-year-old chain’s old-time approach in favor of simplistic blasé marketing.
Still, Cracker Barrel’s biggest problem may not be restaurant or logo aesthetics.
The chain is currently under investigation by America First Legal, a non-profit organization founded by Stephen Miller, a prominent figure in the White House. The company is accused of following DEI hiring practices, prioritizing race and sexual orientation over merit.
Miller’s team submitted a complaint to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission earlier this year, alleging that Cracker Barrel’s employment practices discriminate against employees or potential employees based solely on their skin color or sex.
Cracker Barrel’s “Be Bold” initiative aims to “cultivate and develop Black leaders within the Cracker Barrel organization through allyship, mentorship, and education, creating a path to continued excellence,” as stated on the chain’s website.
Additionally, the HOLA Business Resource Group (BRG) seeks to promote Hispanic and Latino culture by focusing on hiring, developing, and retaining talent within Cracker Barrel. Other BRGs are focused on supporting LGBTQ individuals.
Led by Masino and management’s woke blind agenda, Cracker Barrel is heading down a treacherous path. It has been suggested that, since some people refer to white people as “crackers,” the new logo eliminates the white man, which would coincide with the company’s DEI hiring practices.
The innocent charm is gone from Cracker Barrel restaurants, and it has been replaced with woke racist hatred. I doubt if mashed potatoes and collared greens can remedy that, no matter how good they are.
