Cracker Barrel Dumps CEO After Woke Logo Fiasco

Shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store have yet to fully recover from outgoing CEO Julie Masino's brief "woke" rebranding effort last year. The family-dining chain quickly restored its iconic "Old Country Store" logo and nostalgic aesthetic. Still, the failed overhaul now appears to have cost Masino her job after exposing a serious failure of brand stewardship.

The Cracker Barrel controversy began on Aug. 18, 2025, when the company published a simplified logo that removed the "Old Timer" and barrel, sparking an immediate online backlash that intensified over the following week.

President Trump called for the oldlogo'ss restoration on Aug. 26, and Cracker Barrel reversed the redesign later that day.

Shares plunged by more than half in the months following the disastrous rebranding attempt and remain about 14% below where they traded before the controversy started.

Bloomberg reports that restaurant industry veteran David Deno will replace Masino.

Deno, who led Outback Steakhouse parent companyBloomin'’ Brands from 2019 to 2024, will take over on Aug. 10. Masino, CEO since late 2023, will remain as an adviser until early October.

Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Michael Halen and Amir Islam said Deno inherits favorable comparisons against last year's logo-driven sales drop, though his long-term success will depend on rebuilding traffic and recruiting experienced executives.

Rebuilding customer traffic starts with Deno understanding the brand's core audience and recognizing where America's Overton window now sits. It has shifted away from the left and far-left fringes toward the political center, as "woke" branding has largely vanished despite efforts by revolutionary socialist activists to revive it.