In a year fraught with high-stakes political developments, one story that managed to seize the national spotlight was the controversial rebranding of Cracker Barrel.
This move, which many perceived as an assault on a cherished American institution, was likened to Bud Light's alliance with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney. The rebranding was seen as a capitulation to the leftist agenda of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), a move that was met with widespread backlash.
The outcry was so intense that the company was compelled to halt its modern makeover and reassure Americans that they were not planning any significant changes.
According to RedState, the backlash was indicative of a disconnect between the company's top brass and its customer base. This was further evidenced when Cracker Barrel shareholders voted for board nominees, and DEI consultant Gilbert Dvila was not among them. Subsequently, Dvila resigned from his position.
Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino, who managed to retain her position following the shareholder vote, recently sat down for an interview with Glenn Beck. The conversation took place at a Cracker Barrel location, where Beck directly questioned the rationale behind the ill-advised decision, likening it to Coca-Cola's infamous "new recipe" debacle.
"Our guests have a right to be upset," Masino admitted to Beck. "We messed up. The intent was not ideological. It was not to put the old version of Cracker Barrel in a box. It was not the intent whatsoever."
Masino explained that the logo, the most notorious aspect of the rebrand, was part of a larger system. She insisted that the logo's iconic "old-timer" was never intended to be removed. However, she acknowledged that the decision to remove the old-timer from the logo made Americans feel as though they were being excluded.
"I'm sorry," she continued. "We really regret that. That was not the intention."
Beck further probed whether the company had "embraced DEI as a culture." Masino responded by stating that Cracker Barrel has always strived to be a welcoming place for everyone. When asked if the rebrand was intended to make a political statement, Masino simply replied, "No, it's pancakes."
Interestingly, the conversation was redirected towards Cracker Barrel's food and service by Doug Hisel, the Senior Vice President, who also participated in the interview.
If Masino's assertions are accurate, and the rebrand was not driven by DEI, then it was, at best, incredibly short-sighted. However, it's evident that Cracker Barrel was engaged in DEI-related activities and was increasingly aligning with leftist causes. As reported by Fox News in an interview with Robby Starbuck, the restaurant chain was gradually adopting more LGBTQ+ themes:
Starbuck pointed out Cracker Barrels support for LGBTQ+ organizations and events, such as Nashville Pride, River City Pride, and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). He also noted the company's display of rainbow-colored rocking chairs with LGBTQ+ insignia, including one prominently placed in its Tennessee corporate office.
"The fact that it's located there is important to this story because what's happened here is a microcosm of the parasitic operating procedure of left-wing activists," Starbuck said. "They don't just wanna force their soulless, godless, hedonistic vision of the future onto blue hellscapes that their party controls."
Starbuck further criticized the company's association with the HRC, which he claimed often results in corporations pushing leftist ideologies, particularly through LGBTQ+ causes. Despite Cracker Barrel's denial of having worked with the HRC in "several years," it continued to participate in LGBTQ+ events.
While Hisel attempted to shift the focus to food and service, it's clear that Cracker Barrel's aesthetic rebrand was a colossal waste of time and resources. Despite Masino's insistence that ideology played no part in these decisions, the attempt to appeal to a broader audience seemed undeniably DEI-driven.
The question remains whether Cracker Barrel will truly learn from this misstep. However, it appears that the stern reprimand received by the company's leadership has served as a wake-up call to the reality of their customer base's values and expectations.
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