Cracker Barrel named a new chief executive on Monday, nearly a year after the company’s rebranding effort caused an online backlash.
Julie Masino will step down as the top executive next month, the company said in a statement. David Deno, a former chief of Bloomin’ Brands, will succeed her. Ms. Masino will stay with the company until October.
Last August, the company briefly changed its original logo — which featured an “Old-Timer” in overalls sitting in a chair and leaning on a barrel — to a simpler one that featured just the words Cracker Barrel in a smooth, brown font.
Some claimed that the design changes removed the logo’s Southern charm and that the establishment long aligned with conservative social norms had succumbed to “wokeness.” The company, based in Lebanon, Tenn., reverted to the original logo within days.
Mr. Deno will also join Cracker Barrel’s board of directors. He was chief executive at Bloomin’ Brands, which includes Outback Steakhouse and other restaurants, from 2019 to 2024. He is currently on the boards of Panera Brands and Krispy Kreme.
“Cracker Barrel is a truly iconic American brand, defined by its unique combination of warm country hospitality, timeless appeal and deep connection with guests across generations,” Mr. Deno said in a statement. “I am honored to lead the Cracker Barrel team and look forward to unlocking the full potential of this remarkable brand.”
A spokeswoman for Cracker Barrel declined to comment on the executive changes, referring instead to the company’s statement. The restaurant chain said Mr. Deno had been appointed after a “comprehensive succession planning and search process.”
Ms. Masino is set to receive more than $4.6 million in severance pay, according to a regulatory filing. Mr. Deno will receive a base salary of $1 million, along with an annual bonus and company equity.
Same-store sales for Cracker Barrel’s restaurants fell 2.6 percent in the three months that ended on May 1, compared with a year earlier, and foot traffic declined 6.7 percent. Overall revenue fell nearly 3 percent during the quarter, to $797.4 million.
Ms. Masino joined Cracker Barrel in 2023 after serving as the president of Taco Bell’s international operations. She led the company during its “All the More” campaign, which in addition to the logo change replaced the restaurant’s wooden, country kitsch aesthetic with bright, minimalist walls and crisp décor.
But many longtime customers lamented the remodel on social media. In one TikTok post that was widely shared last year, a user walks through a revamped location with a grim soundtrack and caption: “When Cracker Barrel took away the last piece of nostalgia you had left.”
The response harks back to 2022, when the addition of meatless sausages to the menu also set off a furious online debate over values and so-called wokeness.
In a statement last August, Sarah Moore, Cracker Barrel’s chief marketing officer, defended the changes, including a new seasonal menu: “Our story hasn’t changed. Our values haven’t changed. With ‘All the More,’ we’re honoring our legacy while bringing fresh energy.”
At the time, the chain’s value had dropped by almost $100 million. On Monday afternoon, after the news of Ms. Masino’s departure, shares of the company’s stock had dropped around 3 percent.
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