IYKYK (I don’t care WHAT you say…

[Tin Man]

Cracker Barrel’s legal woes may have something to do with the change in executive leadership which eventually led to this “marketing redesign.” May even have effected food quality.

2002-2004 food poisoning lawsuit

2004 racial discrimination lawsuit

2006 sexual harassment lawsuit

2007 age discrimination lawsuit

2023 wage and hour lawsuit

That’s a lot of legal action and settlement costs.

 

[BenGrimm]

A question from a retired, former graphic designer (who's designed, re-designed, and survived the back-and-forth corporate logo approval gauntlet for "my initial creation, which deserved to be hung in the Louvre" )...

What is the purpose / influence behind this recent streamlining or flattening?

From a practical standpoint, the timing seems illogical. We now have all the bandwidth to go "full Baroque" in detail and nuance. Media-wise, you would expect this to be an era embracing a return to artistry, working hand-in-hand with the deepest understanding ever of human psychology, to produce a second golden age of advertising. Instead, everything seems dumbed down to below 1950s standards of uniform mediocrity.

On the other hand, facing a career extinction event, it does seem timely as an industry to squeeze out one, last paycheck before AI absorbs everyone's job. What better way than to generate a trend that requires immediate response and less creative time/ability.

My impression of this trend is that it's as if human designers were cooperating in the demise of their jobs, generating a look that serves as a bridge to machine-generated graphic design.

If I was still in the business, I'd be devoting my remaining time to challenging AI, putting out work that's filled with soul and humanity, humor and nuance, and intelligence that has some historical context. I know, the younger markets are not particularly equipped to receive such. But that's all the more reason to set your customer's product apart as something that aims higher, that appeals to (and thus, imbues its) customers with better than average sensibilities.

(Full disclosure: I was heavily influenced by, and still love, the non-Brutalist, flat, minimalism and typographic playfulness of the mid-60s. But what I'm seeing in the current minimalist trend is very different. It seems less playful, less humanizing, and much more embracing of "left hemisphere" and machine-learned sensibilities.)

Now you kids get off my [#117c13 Color Hex] bio-textured plane to horizon vanishing point!

It’s been trending this way over the last 10ish years. I kinda think it’s in response to web graphics, mobile in particular. Back when web sites used to cram every pixel with something and then the boom of “clean” design.

It may have started with Apple after Scott Forstall was pushed out and they got rid of the UI like notes looking like yellow note paper and games having a pool table background.

Google followed suit with material design.

Suddenly everything was flat layers staked upon each other.

It’s just seeped out into print.

 

[EastTNVol6240]

Not Cracker Barrel. That was what I had at our final Cracker Barrel visit. It was small and tasted like the freezer.

Huddle house still makes a very good country fried steak. We have one in our town, but it is rarely open in the evenings when we might be searching for a place to eat.

Huddle House is just as good as Waffle House (where we recently ate the expected great meal) in my town. I don't know if Huddle House is this good everywhere. I watch the kitchen staff get ingredients from the fridge and make it delicious. It shares everything good with Waffle House, and has an extended menu. Their fries are very good, and I am very picky about fries.

Are the staff at huddle house trained to fight as well as the staff and Waffle House?

 

[EastTNVol6240]

Cracker Barrel’s legal woes may have something to do with the change in executive leadership which eventually led to this “marketing redesign.” May even have effected food quality.

2002-2004 food poisoning lawsuit

2004 racial discrimination lawsuit

2006 sexual harassment lawsuit

2007 age discrimination lawsuit

2023 wage and hour lawsuit

That’s a lot of legal action and settlement costs.

This really isn’t alarming in today’s society. Everyone is litigation happy. Who knows what the substance to these truly were. Not saying they weren’t legit, they may have been. But 5-6 legal actions on this company in 25 years is very minuscule. You have to think they have nearly 700 locations.

I would have to bet Wal mart far surpasses them in suits and they’re still making tons of money

 

[BruisedOrange]

Cracker Barrel’s legal woes may have something to do with the change in executive leadership which eventually led to this “marketing redesign.” May even have effected food quality.

2002-2004 food poisoning lawsuit

2004 racial discrimination lawsuit

2006 sexual harassment lawsuit

2007 age discrimination lawsuit

2023 wage and hour lawsuit

That’s a lot of legal action and settlement costs.

These could have been what cleared out the openings into which the more DEI-inclined execs moved.

In fairness, that wouldn't necessarily be a clue to whether the offenses were real or created.

 

[PEPPERJAX]

Cracker Barrel’s legal woes may have something to do with the change in executive leadership which eventually led to this “marketing redesign.” May even have effected food quality.

2002-2004 food poisoning lawsuit

2004 racial discrimination lawsuit

2006 sexual harassment lawsuit

2007 age discrimination lawsuit

2023 wage and hour lawsuit

That’s a lot of legal action and settlement costs.

2025 logo gate

 

[Wireless1]

View attachment 765729

If the CEO has a sliver of a brain, she’ll go deep in buying stock at its low current price, fix the menu and quality and make a killing.
Not too many of the regulars probably really care about the devote or corporate support for cause, I just want a tasty Uncle Herschel’s

 

[Go aeiou]

If the CEO has a sliver of a brain, she’ll go deep in buying stock at its low current price, fix the menu and quality and make a killing.
Not too many of the regulars probably really care about the devote or corporate support for cause, I just want a tasty Uncle Herschel’s

Is it too late? We left 2-3 years ago. I thought we were the only ones who noticed how crummy the food was.

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

What exactly is the “woke gimmick” here?

The real problem for CB is their core demographic (Boomers) is dying off. People under 60 aren’t interested in the “old timey” gimmick. There are a lot of places to get breakfast food.

The woke gimmick is a culmination of a lot of items. Instead of executing restautant basics (good, fresh food at a fair price) to keep core customers happy, they have been trying to impose their CEO's personal beliefs on a customer base that is opposed to them. Instead of focusing on core customers, they are focusing on a customer base that will step foot in a CB...

Replacing breakfast pork chop and offering plant based meat in its place

BLM and Pride merch in rural Southern areas

Changing vegatable recipes to make them vegatarian and vegan friendly

Going to cage free eggs abd humanely raised meat and jacking price up 50%

Getting rid of butterbeans and offering quinoa


The decrease in food taste is because the current leadership there is focused on other items and not running a restaurant. They took their eye off the ball and have failed miserably during a time that chains like Chilis and Texas Roadhouse are killing it.

 

[BenGrimm]

The woke gimmick is a culmination of a lot of items. Instead of executing restautant basics (good, fresh food at a fair price) to keep core customers happy, they have been trying to impose their CEO's personal beliefs on a customer base that is opposed to them. Instead of focusing on core customers, they are focusing on a customer base that will step foot in a CB...

Replacing breakfast pork chop and offering plant based meat in its place

BLM and Pride merch in rural Southern areas

Changing vegatable recipes to make them vegatarian and vegan friendly

Going to cage free eggs abd humanely raised meat and jacking price up 50%

Getting rid of butterbeans and offering quinoa


The decrease in food taste is because the current leadership there is focused on other items and not running a restaurant. They took their eye off the ball and have failed miserably during a time that chains like Chilis and Texas Roadhouse are killing it.

Dang I didn’t realize they made those menu changes. Now I want to eat there again. #MAHA

And as I suspected yall continue to use “woke” for anything you personally dislike but isn’t actually woke. It’s beyond parody at this point.

As for pride or BLM merch (presumably a small display in their overstuffed gift shop, and I tend to agree that type of thing is pandering),but I hate to break it to you but there are lots of gay and black people in the south. Quite a few actually.

 

[tbh]

Well, i don't know about all that.

I don't have strong feelings either way. And that's even with my family going to Cracker Barrel every once in a while. It's not great, it's not horrible, but it is decent food and a dependable experience.

My theory is, people don't generally go to Cracker Barrel because they think it's the most amazing cuisine or the most awe-inspiring decor. They go because they're on the road, and it's a dependable, known quantity. They know they aren't gonna be surprised in a bad way there. Or they eat at Cracker Barrel locally and it's just kind of a routine stop: decent food, even if not great, and decent prices, and decent service, even if not great. Again, a dependable option.

I don't know if these branding and decoration changes are going to help or hurt. I do know folks generally dislike change. *shrug*

On the other hand, I did not ever even once think of "cracker barrel" as a racist thing. I didn't think of the fella sitting beside the barrel as a "cracker" or any other kind of person. He was just a farmer. He could be hispanic, native American, black, white, whatever. He was just a dude in overalls sitting by a barrel. I always thought the crackers were INSIDE the barrel, not leaning up against it. I never thought about the fictional guy, other than that.

But it does make me wonder, so this question is for those of us who are anything other than white: have you always seen "cracker" as a racial marker in the name Cracker Barrel? Has that been a running joke or cause for concern among your family and friends? Because I could see if it was.

I'd appreciate responses. Truly curious about whether I've been living with blinders on where this restaurant chain is concerned.

Go Vols!

I'm with you on this one, JP. I always figured they were referring to hardtack crackers inside the barrel. In fact, maybe it was a missed opportunity to set out an old barrel with shallower "floor" inside it and fill it with some small packs of club crackers and saltines. Who knows...they didn't offer me enough for my consulting services, haha.

 

[Vol_in_NC_1999]

Best thing I had last time I went was the golf tee puzzle.

The CEO couldn't make it past "egg-no-ra-mus".

 

[GVF]

Clearly not enough sub 60s are making it a go-to.

Yes food quality is an issue for every chain restaurant. Same fate that befalls old staples like Red Lobster and Ruby Tursdays.

Personally I’m in my upper 40s. None of my friends or similar aged family ever mention going there. Not a place we ever say “Hey let’s meet up at Cracker Barrel.” …Our parents do.

Personally I still liked the blueberry pancakes whenever we would join the elders there. Not enough to take a trip there myself. New logo has zero affect on that.

As well as Olive Garden. It's what heppens when maybe 70% of your menu comes from a frozen bag. Nephew was a chef for a while. Before landing in a mom and italian eatery, he spent some time at OG. Says the only real thing a chef does there is open frozen bags and heat them. And you are paying dearly for that quality.

At the moment, the only real eating out we do, or pick up, is texas roadhouse and a couple locally owned authentic mexican joints. You even gotta be careful with them. Menu is exaclty same and same flavors at tonws of mexican places. Sisco and US Foods supply most of them.

 

[GVF]

Well, i don't know about all that.

I don't have strong feelings either way. And that's even with my family going to Cracker Barrel every once in a while. It's not great, it's not horrible, but it is decent food and a dependable experience.

My theory is, people don't generally go to Cracker Barrel because they think it's the most amazing cuisine or the most awe-inspiring decor. They go because they're on the road, and it's a dependable, known quantity. They know they aren't gonna be surprised in a bad way there. Or they eat at Cracker Barrel locally and it's just kind of a routine stop: decent food, even if not great, and decent prices, and decent service, even if not great. Again, a dependable option.

I don't know if these branding and decoration changes are going to help or hurt. I do know folks generally dislike change. *shrug*

On the other hand, I did not ever even once think of "cracker barrel" as a racist thing. I didn't think of the fella sitting beside the barrel as a "cracker" or any other kind of person. He was just a farmer. He could be hispanic, native American, black, white, whatever. He was just a dude in overalls sitting by a barrel. I always thought the crackers were INSIDE the barrel, not leaning up against it. I never thought about the fictional guy, other than that.

But it does make me wonder, so this question is for those of us who are anything other than white: have you always seen "cracker" as a racial marker in the name Cracker Barrel? Has that been a running joke or cause for concern among your family and friends? Because I could see if it was.

I'd appreciate responses. Truly curious about whether I've been living with blinders on where this restaurant chain is concerned.

Go Vols!

Based on what i've always seen inside a CB over the years, I'd say not.

 

[GVF]

Thank you! Where can a man get good country fried steak anymore!!??!! At a decent price.

Change the logo to a purple breakdancing hippo. Just make it affordable and quality. That will be all….for now lol.

Last time I ate at Chili's, it was very good. Probably what I've ordered most at a chili's besides the southwest egg rolls.

Texas Roadhouse has Country Fried Sirloin, and Country Fried Chicken both with the mandatory white biscuit gravy. And if those two are anything like the other things I've ever had TRH they will be excellent. We've actually never had anything less than one would ask, for the money spent, at a TRH. Always been spot on. And I first probably ran into them travelling for wwork somewhere around the south maybe 20 years ago give or take. Then one finally opened near us.

Other brands that have always delivered. But, haven't been near any for a while so hope they still do: Carraba's (best rib-eye ever), and Romano's Macaroni Grill, Cheddar's, O'Charley's (??? WE haven't been there since TRh opened next door).

We don't eat out much per se. We do a bit of take out. Any "expensive" meal is typically TRH.