Cracker Barrel’s Profit and Outlook Hammered by Logo and Restaurant Change Backlash

Cracker Barrel's rebrand goes sour—investors flee as nostalgia gets a modern makeover.

Menu Misfires and Brand Blunders

Patrons revolted when the chain tweaked its classic logo and tinkered with restaurant layouts. Regulars called it a betrayal of the down-home vibe that made the chain a staple. Same-store sales tanked—no surprise when you ditch what actually works.

Earnings Tumble Amid Identity Crisis

Profits nosedived as marketing spend soared trying to win back alienated customers. Store traffic fell off a cliff. Maybe next time, test the concept before rolling it out nationwide—just a thought.

Outlook Gets a Reality Check

Management slashed guidance, blaming 'consumer resistance to change.' Translation: we misread our audience completely. Another classic case of corporate overthinking—fixing what wasn’t broken while the balance sheet bleeds.

Key Takeaways

• Cracker Barrel Old Country Store posted weaker-than-expected profit and guidance on the pushback from the family restaurant chain's rebranding plans.
• CEO Julie Masino said traffic has fallen about 8% since the company's August 19th logo change, which it reversed after negative feedback from customers.
• Masino said traffic would likely continue to decline in the current quarter.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL) shares fell Thursday as the blowback from the restaurant chain’s location updates and logo change hit its results and guidance.

Shares of Cracker Barrel were recently down about 3%, extending year-to-date losses. The company reported fourth quarter fiscal 2025 adjusted earnings per share of $0.74, $0.06 less than analysts surveyed by Visible Alpha were looking for.

Revenue fell 3% to $868.0 million, better than estimates. Comparable store restaurant sales ROSE 5.4%, but comparable store retail sales dropped 0.8%.

Cracker Barrel recently backed away from a rebranding plan after facing a firestorm of criticism from customers. CEO Julie Masino said the company listened to the complaints, “switching back to our 'Old Timer' logo, hitting pause on remodels, and placing an even bigger emphasis in the kitchen and other areas that enhance the guest experience.”

In a call with analysts Thursday, Masino said that since the date of the initial logo change, on August 19, store traffic has declined approximately 8%. Assuming similar trends for the rest of the quarter, she said, the company expects a fiscal first-quarter traffic decline of as much as 8%.

\The company sees fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of $150 million to $190 million, and revenue of $3.35 billion to $3.45 billion. The Visible Alpha forecasts were for $237.8 million and $3.51 billion, respectively.