Cracker Barrel New Logo

[Scott5114]

Even among younger folks, the old-timey-ness of Cracker Barrel is more than half the reason to go there—assuming they're not just a transplant from the South and itching for some fried okra.  The old-fashioned stick candy, the big front porch, all of that old-timey stuff:  that's, like, the whole point of going to Cracker Barrel.  People want to browse the store for a few minutes, eat, browse the store for another minute, take a selfie while they rock in a rocking chair for 25 seconds, and then go home.  Trying to downplay that stuff is a huge gamble, and in my opinion too big of a gamble.

Sure, but theoretically younger folks could do the same thing at an "old-fashioned 1970s" restaurant, while they would also be bolstered by the audience of people who actually remember the 70s—that was the original customer mix that Cracker Barrel relied on.

Cracker Barrel opened with its 1940s theme in 1969, so if an equivalent were opened today, it would be a 1990s-themed restaurant. (There actually are a few such restaurants here in Las Vegas—I haven't been there so I can't recall its name, but one [I think it's a pizza place] actually opened in the early 90s and never updated the aggressively-dated decor, so it's even more authentic than Cracker Barrel is to its time period.)

My own take is that I can never find more than one or two items on the menu that I might even want to order.  At a restaurant like Cracker Barrel, I'm not really expecting better than mediocre, but I do expect a better selection so that, if something I order is pretty bad, then next time I can avoid that and get something else I like instead.  I just don't think there's enough variety on the menu for that, personally.  Of course, that has nothing to do with the logo.

That mirrors my experiences there—it's been decades since I went there (my grandmother insisted on going to the location on 78th Street in KCK every time we were in town, until it finally went out of business; it appears to already have the real-estate signs on it on 2007 GSV), but there wasn't a whole lot on the menu that even seemed appetizing, and what was (fried chicken for example) wasn't actually any good.

From what I understand, the food quality has gone downhill across the chain. That's... not good.

Given my previous experience there, that would imply that now it's not even edible.

[hbelkins]

The new logo reminded me of a three-digit New York state highway marker in Catskills-Adirondacks colors.

The food is the type that those of us who aren't particularly healthy eaters love. It reminds me of what my grandmother used to fix -- fried, slathered in gravy, garden vegetables, etc. I can imagine these new-age vegan types and people who never ate country fried steak wouldn't be fond of, but otherwise, if you can't find something you wouldn't like there, you have weird taste in food. I have a hard time deciding between the aforementioned country fried stake, the chicken fried chicken, the fried catfish, or the meatloaf.

Portion sizes have decreased in recent years, though, to the detriment of the establishment.

[kphoger]

The memes and fake logos associated with all this have been top tier

https://www.reddit.com/r/facepalm/comments/1n0d3hg/cracker_barrel_logo_design_proposal/

https://www.reddit.com/r/forwardsfromgrandma/comments/1mzembs/grandma_blames_liberals_and_democrats_for_cracker/

https://www.reddit.com/r/graphic_design/comments/1n0859s/i_redesigned_cracker_barrel_logo/

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/1mz64bh/logo_redesign/

https://www.reddit.com/r/logodesign/comments/1n04h6y/my_proposal_of_a_new_cracker_barrel_design/

I love how that last one flagged as 'NSFW' on my computer.  Huhhhhh??

[Scott5114]

Something I learned from this rebrand is my memory of the old dude's pose is completely wrong. From glancing at the logo on signs, my memory was that the old man was sitting in the chair with his legs apart, his leg behind the barrel, and he was leaning forward a bit, perhaps somewhat ominously.

But instead he has his ankles pressed together in a way that doesn't look particularly comfortable or natural.

I have a hard time deciding between the aforementioned country fried stake, the chicken fried chicken, the fried catfish, or the meatloaf.

See, I grew up in Oklahoma, so I have a taste for all of that stuff. Cracker Barrel just botches the execution of all of them, in my experience. So that just leaves the weird stuff that I probably don't like as options.

I love how that last one flagged as 'NSFW' on my computer.  Huhhhhh??

I clicked the links out of order, so for a second I thought you meant the JD Vance one was flagged NSFW...

[kphoger]

It reminds me of what my grandmother used to fix -- fried, slathered in gravy, garden vegetables, etc. I can imagine these new-age vegan types and people who never ate country fried steak wouldn't be fond of, but otherwise, if you can't find something you wouldn't like there, you have weird taste in food. I have a hard time deciding between the aforementioned country fried stake, the chicken fried chicken, the fried catfish, or the meatloaf.

Portion sizes have decreased in recent years, though, to the detriment of the establishment.

It reminds me of what my grandmother used to fix -- fried, slathered in gravy, garden vegetables, etc.

I'm in the mood for something slathered in gravy about twice a year, tops.  Fried food, OK, but only if it's good quality.  Plain old garden vegetables just heated up and dumped on the plate, no thanks, I can do better than that with little effort at home.

[gonealookin]

I don't mind the chain restaurants for breakfast.  Denny's, IHOP, Cracker Barrel...it's hard to screw up eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, pancakes or toast.  I'm in Denny's and IHOP fairly often because many of them are 24 hours and I'm often looking to have breakfast out of the way before 6 a.m.  Cracker Barrels aren't open that early so I'm only in there if I'm getting a later start and there happens to be one right next to the hotel.  More often, if places that open at 7 a.m. work for me that day, I would scan Yelp and take a chance on a local cafe.

I have never eaten any meal other than breakfast in a Cracker Barrel, and nothing other than breakfast at a Denny's or IHOP in probably 40 years.  Too many other options.  Sometimes I draw a really lousy meal or one that's too expensive for what you get, but I'd rather take that chance than settle for a chain.

[Scott5114]

I have never eaten any meal other than breakfast in a Cracker Barrel, and nothing other than breakfast at a Denny's or IHOP in probably 40 years.  Too many other options.  Sometimes I draw a really lousy meal or one that's too expensive for what you get, but I'd rather take that chance than settle for a chain.

I found that IHOP is a good option for non-breakfast stuff should you find yourself in the position of being up late enough that most places have switched over to breakfast, yet (because you're not just waking up), you're not in the mood for breakfast stuff.

Of course, that is less of a problem in Nevada, where there is a larger selection of 24-hour restaurants than in other states.

I have never successfully eaten at a Denny's. I tried to on a roadtrip once—we stopped at the one in Tucumcari for dinner, and stood at the front for like ten minutes, but nobody ever showed up to seat us. So we shrugged, continued on to Amarillo, and ate there.

[ZLoth]

Not every trip is a vacation, and the nature of the trip matters.

For example, my family recently spent a few days up in Kansas City, and my sister and her husband came down from Des Moines too. We were on the edge of the Westport neighborhood, which has all sorts of hip local establishments.  But we weren't there for a vacation.  My dad was having brain surgery.

Under a situation like this, the KISS concept comes into play as there are more serious issues to contemplate. It also varies with the territory. The nearby medical center has multiple chain and local restaurants within one mile with both national and regional chains. Time also plays a factor, and Whataburger, McDonalds, and Waffle House are all open 24 hours.

Or I remember the time we drove nearly 1500 miles round-trip to Tennessee, but it was just to buy a car.  We weren't there to explore the local scene.  I have no clue what restaurants we ate at while we were there, but I guarantee they were fast food chains.

Google Maps and Yelp would have helped, but you were dealing with a serious time constraint. I get that.

[formulanone]

Like most logo redesigns, I don't care. It's not my company and if it's not offensive nor embarrassing...whatever. The irony that it's a restaurant decorated with dozens of old logos and brands and someone fired up their rage-store-bater over this just plain dumb.

Their food tastes the same year after year.* Most Southern cooking is somewhat simply seasoned, overly salted, incredibly sweet, or even bland. And all that old stuff on the wall makes me feel young, since most of it harkens back at least two generations before my time.

Although, we used to go more frequently but now visit maybe once or twice a year, because everyone finds something they like, especially when extended family visits. Nothing incredibly special but never terrible. Service is kind of a scattered affair.

* Everyone seems to truck out this excuse for nearly every restaurant because they had one bad experience, perhaps one day they realized their tastes changed, you realized you're not eight anymore, found another place that makes ___ better, or your prescription medication / guru / diet / experience altered your perception of food. Nobody easily admits they changed.

[gonealookin]

Of course, that is less of a problem in Nevada, where there is a larger selection of 24-hour restaurants than in other states.

More so in Vegas than Reno.  A lot of 24-hour restaurants up here are inside the hotels and are overpriced.  Outside, many of the 24-hour places are really bars and have a very so-so limited menu.

In Vegas, a couple of the Blueberry Hill locations are open 24 hours, and in the Denny's/IHOP/Cracker Barrel realm they are quite good.  I never stay on the Strip in Vegas; my cheap-ass stays are at places like Arizona Charlie's on Decatur, and one of the 24-hour Blueberry Hills is just down the street from there.

[Max Rockatansky]

I have never eaten any meal other than breakfast in a Cracker Barrel, and nothing other than breakfast at a Denny's or IHOP in probably 40 years.  Too many other options.  Sometimes I draw a really lousy meal or one that's too expensive for what you get, but I'd rather take that chance than settle for a chain.

I found that IHOP is a good option for non-breakfast stuff should you find yourself in the position of being up late enough that most places have switched over to breakfast, yet (because you're not just waking up), you're not in the mood for breakfast stuff.

Of course, that is less of a problem in Nevada, where there is a larger selection of 24-hour restaurants than in other states.

I have never successfully eaten at a Denny's. I tried to on a roadtrip once—we stopped at the one in Tucumcari for dinner, and stood at the front for like ten minutes, but nobody ever showed up to seat us. So we shrugged, continued on to Amarillo, and ate there.

Both IHOP and Denny's have superior tasting food versus blandness Cracker Barrel offers.  Plus, both locations don't actually try to put on a facade of "class" that some people think Cracker Barrel has. 

[kphoger]

Or I remember the time we drove nearly 1500 miles round-trip to Tennessee, but it was just to buy a car.  We weren't there to explore the local scene.  I have no clue what restaurants we ate at while we were there, but I guarantee they were fast food chains.

Google Maps and Yelp would have helped, but you were dealing with a serious time constraint. I get that.

Pertinent point bolded.  Would have helped with what, exactly?  There wasn't really any difference between, say, going to Wendy's while we were there and going to Wendy's on the other side of town if we had bought the car there instead.  It was just a place to drive to and buy a car.  A chain fast food restaurant provides a reliable, predictable place to eat at an affordable price in a short amount of time.  No Google or Yelp reviews required.  Not every trip to a restaurant has to be an experience;  it can just be a place to eat food, whether that's five miles away or five hundred.

For what it's worth, it really was an out-and-back trip.  I don't know why you assumed there was a time constraint, but there kind of was.  We left Wichita after church on Sunday, drove through a snowstorm in southern Illinois that turned into an ice storm in Kentucky, got in to our cheap motel in Clarksville at around midnight.  Got up the next morning, drove to Lebanon, test-drove the new vehicle around town a little bit, signed papers, grabbed lunch at some point, headed out of town, met up with some of my wife's family for a late night meal at Steak 'N Shake in Springfield, and finally made it back to Wichita at about 3 am.

[Scott5114]

Like most logo redesigns, I don't care. It's not my company and if it's not offensive nor embarrassing...whatever. The irony that it's a restaurant decorated with dozens of old logos and brands and someone fired up their rage-store-bater over this just plain dumb.

To be fair to the rage-baiters, in this case the logo change was intended to be paired with a proposed store remodel that adopted a much more minimalist design aesthetic, which would eliminate the dozens of old logos displayed around the store. I am not sure whether the store redesign, which to me is more objectionable than the logo redesign, has also been cancelled. Keeping the old logo with the new store design would be a rather noticeable tonal mismatch.

Of course, that is less of a problem in Nevada, where there is a larger selection of 24-hour restaurants than in other states.

More so in Vegas than Reno.  A lot of 24-hour restaurants up here are inside the hotels and are overpriced.  Outside, many of the 24-hour places are really bars and have a very so-so limited menu.

In Vegas, a couple of the Blueberry Hill locations are open 24 hours, and in the Denny's/IHOP/Cracker Barrel realm they are quite good.  I never stay on the Strip in Vegas; my cheap-ass stays are at places like Arizona Charlie's on Decatur, and one of the 24-hour Blueberry Hills is just down the street from there.

It's a shame the video-poker-bar-with-food concept (which is sometimes branded a "Nevada-style tavern" down here) doesn't normally have very good food up north. There is chain of those here called Timbers that knocks it out of the park. The food selection is nothing special—burgers, chicken strips, that sort of thing—but the execution has been on point every time we've been there. There are several competing chains with similar offerings that I've been meaning to try.

I have yet to try Blueberry Hill either, but from what I have read it seems to occupy that niche where it really hits the spot when it's late at night and you're drunk/high. I have also heard from some longtime locals that it has gone downhill from what it once was, but it's still in business so it can't have fallen that far—the Vegas restaurant market is extremely competitive because there is just so much good food out there that there is no reason for a customer to suffer through mediocre fare.

I don't blame you for avoiding staying on the Strip—unless you intend to do the typical tourist walk up and down the Strip to visit all the casinos, it is kind of terrible from a value-for-money standpoint. The one time I stayed on the Strip was at the Excalibur, which although I'm fond of it from an aesthetic perspective, is not a glamorous property by any means, and even that set me back over $1000 for a week's stay. Were I to stay here again as a visitor, I think I would try my luck staying at one of the locals casinos like Suncoast or Red Rock and see what the bill for that looks like (I'm sure Arizona Charlie's is still cheaper, but that part of Decatur is a little more rough around the edges than I'd prefer).

Plus, both locations don't actually try to put on a facade of "class" that some people think Cracker Barrel has. 

There's someone that thinks Cracker Barrel is classy??? Now I've heard everything.

Got up the next morning, drove to Lebanon, test-drove the new vehicle around town a little bit...

Ironically, the only thing I know about Lebanon TN is that Cracker Barrel was founded there, so it would have qualified as local food if you ate there!

[Max Rockatansky]

Old white Boomer crowd types particularly of the retiree community demographic I've found love Cracker Barrel.  Kind of reminds me much of the same phenomenon tied to Bill Knapp's in the 1990s.

[kphoger]

Bill Knapp's

Oh, wait...  What is that?  Bill Knapp was my wife's grandfather's name, yet I've never heard of this.

[Max Rockatansky]

Bill Knapp's

Oh, wait...  What is that?  Bill Knapp was my wife's grandfather's name, yet I've never heard of this.

Former Midwest family chain which went defunct in 2002.

[cockroachking]

It's a Malaysian highway shield.

Jalan Persekutuan Cracker Barrel:

[LilianaUwU]

It's a Malaysian highway shield.

Jalan Persekutuan Cracker Barrel:

This would've actually been a good logo.

[hotdogPi]

The problem with using that logo in Malaysia is that it would likely be abbreviated to CB, which is offensive (cheebai or one of several variant spellings, meaning female genitalia) in Malaysian English.

[hbelkins]

To be fair to the rage-baiters, in this case the logo change was intended to be paired with a proposed store remodel that adopted a much more minimalist design aesthetic, which would eliminate the dozens of old logos displayed around the store. I am not sure whether the store redesign, which to me is more objectionable than the logo redesign, has also been cancelled. Keeping the old logo with the new store design would be a rather noticeable tonal mismatch.

According to something I heard on a podcast yesterday, said to be read from a Cracker Barrel social media post, the interior redesign is also scrapped. I heard a reference to "antique decor sourced from our warehouse in Lebanon,Tenn.," or something similar. So it would appear that the restaurant interiors are going to remain as they were.

I haven't been in one of the redesigned restaurants, but one thing I didn't like about what I saw of the redesign was a move from tables to booths. I may have lost 60 pounds in two years, but I still prefer a table to a booth because it's easier to get up and down at a table than it is to get in and out of a booth.

The problem with using that logo in Malaysia is that it would likely be abbreviated to CB, which is offensive (cheebai or one of several variant spellings, meaning female genitalia) in Malaysian English.

I thought "cheeba" referred to marijuana.

[vdeane]

The problem with using that logo in Malaysia is that it would likely be abbreviated to CB, which is offensive (cheebai or one of several variant spellings, meaning female genitalia) in Malaysian English.

Must make it awkward for truck drivers to communicate with their CB radios.

[kphoger]

In my work world, 'CB' means 'commercial business'.

[catch22]

According to something I heard on a podcast yesterday, said to be read from a Cracker Barrel social media post, the interior redesign is also scrapped. I heard a reference to "antique decor sourced from our warehouse in Lebanon,Tenn.," or something similar. So it would appear that the restaurant interiors are going to remain as they were.

I haven't been in one of the redesigned restaurants, but one thing I didn't like about what I saw of the redesign was a move from tables to booths. I may have lost 60 pounds in two years, but I still prefer a table to a booth because it's easier to get up and down at a table than it is to get in and out of a booth.

Here's a link to a news story with a pic of the redesigned store layout, with tables.

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Food/cracker-barrel-fans-mixed-feelings-restaurant-chains-redesign/story?id=124542164

[ZLoth]

For what it's worth, it really was an out-and-back trip.  I don't know why you assumed there was a time constraint, but there kind of was.  We left Wichita after church on Sunday, drove through a snowstorm in southern Illinois that turned into an ice storm in Kentucky, got in to our cheap motel in Clarksville at around midnight.

The time constrant came from the phrase "We weren't there to explore the local scene." which indicates a time constraint, and the elaboration above confirms that. It also sounds like a bit of a miserable trip thanks to the weather. 

I still can't believe this difference in perspectives has gone in this thread. My perspective of preferring mom-and-pop places (support local business) and chains that are not in my area is legitimate, along with the concern about people traveling hundreds of miles only to eat at restaurants that they can find at home, is valid. You have pointed out exceptions (family emergencies, quick trips with and no time and/or intention of exploring the local scene) that are also very valid.

As for the casino buffets, I can't speak for the Las Vegas ones. However, there have been times where the cost of the buffet was more expensive than a nearby restaurant. One example that comes to mind is Thanksgiving 2016 or 2017 at Red Hawk Casino in Diamond Springs, CA. The per person cost for their buffet that holiday was $45 per person. My mother and I ended up having Thanksgiving Beef Enchiladas and Thanksgiving Chile Rellenos at a restaurant directly across from the buffet, with drinks, for around $35 for both of us. I checkedg their web site, and their prices ranged from $25 per person for a weekday lunch to $59 per person for a Friday/Saturday dinner. In checking the Oklahoma Casinos, the per person cost at Choctaw's casino (per web site) is from $20 per person for lunch to $45 per person for the Friday/Saturday Crab & Seafood Festival. Meanwhile, there is no pricing for the Winstar buffet listed on their web site. At those prices, I would be tempted to go on a caloric engorgement to get my moneys worth, and suffer from a food coma afterwards. Most of the other casino restaurants are a bit cheaper, and these days, I tend to share a plate with my mother to avoid the doggie bags.

I should note that, if I go a little further north beyond Choctaw on US-75, there is a pretty good restaurant called "Reba's Place" in Atoka, OK where the food is very good, the prices are a bit cheaper, and the ambiance is better.

[kphoger]

As for the casino buffets, I can't speak for the Las Vegas ones. However, there have been times where the cost of the buffet was more expensive than a nearby restaurant.

I've only been to Las Vegas one time, as a teen-ager back in the 90s, but, from what I've heard from others, the idea that Las Vegas casino buffets are cheap harks back to a time even before that when they actually were cheap—but they haven't actually been that good a deal in decades.