Cracker Barrel ends partnership with Prophet after failed rebrand backlash
Founder of XX-XY Athletics Jennifer Sey analyzes why customers rejected the pitch to change the restaurant chain’s logo on ‘The Evening Edit.’
Cracker Barrel is ending its partnership with Prophet, the consulting firm behind its failed rebrand.
The chain faced intense backlash after unveiling a new logo and redesigned stores that longtime fans said stripped away what they loved most about the brand.
Cracker Barrel’s restaurants, long known for their kitschy Americana décor, were recast in a style critics called drab and soulless.
The uproar grew after the company dropped its iconic logo of an elderly man leaning on a barrel.
CRACKER BARREL ANTI-WOKE CRITICS SLAMMED AS UNINTELLIGENT BY BOSTON GLOBE FOOD CRITIC
General view of a Cracker Barrel Country Store in Nashville, Tennessee, Wednesday, August 27, 2025. (Zak Bennett for Fox News Digital / Fox News)
A March press release said Prophet was hired to redesign Cracker Barrel restaurants and lead a new brand marketing campaign.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CBRL | CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE INC. | 44.19 | +0.81 | +1.87% |
At the time, the company said: “In collaboration with Cracker Barrel, they are focused on shaping a new brand vision that will enhance market share while preserving the company’s unique heritage. This new strategy will inform brand communication, restaurant redesigns, brand marketing campaigns and a redefined employee value proposition.”
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Separately, Prophet CEO Michael Dunn pledged $4 million in 2020 for the firm’s DEI initiatives, saying the company would “bring in Black team members across every level of the firm,” hire a DEI-specific recruiter and provide $4 million in pro bono work to social justice organizations, according to a 2020 blog post.
Fox News Digital found no evidence that Prophet’s DEI commitments were connected to Cracker Barrel’s rebranding.
