WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump has jumped into the Cracker Barrel controversy, advising the restaurant chain to go back to its old sign following a MAGA backlash to the company's rebrand.
Trump's foray into the Cracker Barrell debate comes after Republican lawmakers have roundly criticized the Tennessee-based restaurant for ditching its longtime logo ‒ featuring a man in overalls seated next to a wooden barrel ‒ for a simpler, more modern look that contains only the restauraunt's name.
"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," Trump said in an Aug. 26 post on Truth Social.
Trump added that Cracker Barrell "got a Billion Dollars worth of free publicity if they play their cards right." He said they "have a major News Conference Today" and "Make Cracker Barrel a WINNER again."
"Very tricky to do, but a great opportunity," Trump said.
Cracker Barrel's makeover ‒ which also includes a brighter, more modern dining room ‒ has been met by widespread criticism, but especially among MAGA politicians and influencers, who have referred to it as a "woke rebrand."
"Go woke, go broke," the White House wrote in a post on X that displayed a revamped Cracker Barrel logo with Trump as the man leaning on the barrel.
Cracker Barrel issued a company statement on Aug. 25 in response to the criticism of the logo, standing by its new look while recognizing some people don't like it.
"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," the company said. "You've also shown us that we could've done a better job sharing who we are and who we'll always be."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump says Cracker Barrel should return to old logo
Reporting by Joey Garrison, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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