The wife of the man who designed Cracker Barrel’s original logo has spoken out after the company tried to change its branding.
“He would not have liked the plain Jane logo,” Beverly Holley told The Washington Post. “Because it really says nothing about the restaurant.”
The Southern-themed restaurant chain came under fire this month from conservatives after it attempted to change its logo to a simple sign that reads, “Cracker Barrel.” The new logo, unlike the original, omitted the restaurant’s “Older Timer” mascot: a man sitting in a chair leaning his arm on a barrel. The move prompted outrage from some who labeled the rebrand “woke.” President Donald Trump even weighed in, calling for Cracker Barrel to “go back to the old logo.”
As the controversy mounted and the restaurant’s stock tumbled, Cracker Barrel announced Tuesday evening it would keep the original logo, designed by Bill Holley in 1977.
While Bill died in 2021, his wife now says he would be “thrilled” to know the restaurant is keeping his design and that people rallied behind his work.
“I think Bill’s holding his hand up and saying, ‘I made Cracker Barrel great again!’” she added.
Bill first designed the logo on a napkin during a meeting with the restaurant’s founder, Dan Evins, Beverly told the Post. The man sitting in the chair is based on Evins’ Uncle Herschel.
“I kept it for many, many years, and then [one day] I thought, we probably don’t need this,” Beverly said of the napkin. “I should have kept it — would be worth a lot today.”
The Independent has contacted Cracker Barrel for comment.
The initial uproar began last week when Cracker Barrel announced the revamped logo, prompting anger from many in the MAGA sphere. Influencer Benny Johnson accused CEO Julie Felss Masino of “destroying a great American brand” and claimed the change “erased the white guy” from the restaurant chain’s branding.
Conservative activist Chris Rufo similarly suggested a new campaign to “break the Barrel.”
“It’s not about this particular restaurant chain – who cares – but about creating massive pressure against companies that are considering any move that might appear to be ‘wokification,’” Rufo wrote on social media. “The implicit promise: Go woke, watch your stock price drop 20 percent, which is exactly what is happening now.”
The Republican Party also weighed in, writing: “Make Cracker Barrel Great Again!”
Cracker Barrel responded to the uproar by vowing to get rid of the new logo, labeling itself a “proud American institution.”
“We thank our guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel,” the company said on X. “We said we would listen, and we have. Our new logo is going away and our ‘Old Timer’ will remain.”
Trump celebrated the announcement on Truth Social, wishing the company luck in the future.
“Congratulations ‘Cracker Barrel’ on changing your logo back to what it was,” he wrote on Tuesday night. “All of your fans very much appreciate it. Good luck into the future. Make lots of money and, most importantly, make your customers happy again!”
