In this blog, we\u2019ll look at the good, bad, and ugly of restaurant branding, from Cracker Barrel\u2019s recent fiasco to why McDonald\u2019s arches have stayed recognizable since the \u201840s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
(And, if you want a deeper dive on why restaurant branding even matters in the first place, check out <\/em>this blog<\/em><\/a>!)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s get started! <\/p>\n\n\n\n On August 19, 2025<\/a>, Cracker Barrel launched their \u201cAll the More\u201d campaign.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Designed to celebrate everything that guests know and love about Cracker Barrel, the campaign included new and returning menu items, restaurant remodels, limited-time deals, a collaboration with country music artist Jordan Davis\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n And \u201can enhanced brand look and feel\u201d that included a shiny new logo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While the new logo maintained Cracker Barrel\u2019s iconic mustard-yellow branding, the similarities stopped there. The new logo ditched the rest of Cracker Barrel\u2019s instantly recognizable restaurant branding, including Uncle Herschel<\/a> and his chair, the \u201cOld Country Store\u201d wording, the secondary, brown brand color, and the barrel.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Part of the Cracker Barrel\u2019s \u201cenhanced\u201d brand look also included remodeling their restaurants<\/a>. About 20 locations<\/a> got a makeover under this new direction, creating spaces with brighter walls, with fewer antiques, a more open floor plan, and, of course, the brand-new logo.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n To put it simply: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Really, really poorly. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n People were instantly furious that the \u201cOld Timer\u201d look and feel was changed, taking to social media to share their not-so-positive thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some users were upset about how boring the new logo design is, calling it \u201cminimalism done wrong<\/a>\u201d and claiming it looks too \u201ccorporate<\/a>.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Others said<\/a> the new restaurant branding strayed from Cracker Barrel\u2019s traditional feel, because \u201cpeople go to Cracker Barrel so they can be taken OUT of the 21st century, not through it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The negative impact of the new logo didn\u2019t stop at social media, either. In the week following the logo release, Cracker Barrel\u2019s market value dropped by ~$100M<\/a>, with shares dropping by 7.2% in just a few days.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luckily, Cracker Barrel\u2019s team was paying attention to the public\u2019s response \u2014 and they actually listened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just one week after the initial rebranding announcement, Cracker Barrel shared a statement <\/a>addressing all the new restaurant branding issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019ve shared your voices in recent weeks not just on our logo, but also on our restaurants. We\u2019re continuing to listen,\u201d the statement read. \u201cToday, we\u2019re suspending our remodels. If your restaurant hasn\u2019t been remodeled, you don\u2019t need to worry, it won\u2019t be.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The statement also specifically calls out the logo feedback:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe thank our guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel. We said we would listen, and we have. Our new logo is going away and our \u201cOld Timer\u201d will remain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Throughout Q4, the Cracker Barrel team has continued doing damage control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the beginning of October<\/a>, the brand announced they\u2019d cut ties with Prophet, the consultancy that \u201cadvised [them on] previous brand refresh initiatives, including the logo.\u201d They also worked to rebuild hype by bringing back some holiday favorites<\/a> (and introducing some new menu items) just in time for Thanksgiving.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, all we can do is wait and see what happens with Cracker Barrel over the next few months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Only time will tell if Cracker Barrel\u2019s restaurant branding rollback was enough to keep people coming back \u2014 or if it drove the wedge even further. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At this point, it\u2019s very<\/em> clear that Cracker Barrel\u2019s restaurant branding endeavours were not successful\u2026 but where exactly did they go wrong? <\/p>\n\n\n\n The way we see it, there were three big issues with their restaurant branding efforts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even one change to a beloved restaurant\u2019s branding would have been a lot for customers to accept, but completely changing the logo, the interior design, and<\/em> the menu all at once? It was simply too much, too fast \u2014 and Cracker Barrel paid the price. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCracker Barrel could be modernized without completely changing everything about what the company is. Especially as a southern staple. Their changes should have been more [low-key] and smaller in the beginning.\u201d \u2014 Reddit user Substantial-Fan3885<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n What Cracker Barrel\u2019s new restaurant branding tried to replace is actually what people loved most about the brand: its quirky, kitschy, country-store aesthetic. Customers couldn\u2019t (or wouldn\u2019t) reconcile the new branding with the traditional Cracker Barrel they know and love. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c[Part] of what makes [Cracker Barrel] fun is all the old-timey decorations and whatnot. [Without all that] stuff it would lose a ton of appeal to me.\u201d \u2014 Reddit user Affectionate-Day2743<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n With a tagline like \u201cRooted in Hospitality Since 1969,\u201d Cracker Barrel has become almost synonymous with old-timey country kitchen. So, when their restaurant branding turned totally modern and minimalistic, it felt inauthentic and gimmicky, because it didn\u2019t match their values. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis screams \u201cwe just want to cheapen the food and become like every other corporate restaurant.\u201d\u201d \u2014 Reddit user boneappleteeth1234<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s safe to say that Cracker Barrel didn\u2019t have the most positive <\/em>restaurant branding experience\u2026 but lots of other industry moguls have! Here are three examples of restaurant branding (and rebranding) done right. <\/p>\n\n\n\n McDonald\u2019s is an expert in the restaurant branding game. They\u2019ve been subtly (and not-so-subtly) redesigning their logo pretty consistently since the 1940s, making changes to the logo as recently as 2018. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the reasons McDonald\u2019s restaurant branding efforts have been so successful is because they never stray too far from their roots. They\u2019ve always maintained the golden arches, the red accent colors, and the slogan, keeping their well-loved brand instantly recognizable (and in the good books of their customers). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another brand that\u2019s done well with restaurant branding is Domino\u2019s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In October 2025<\/a>, the well-known pizza brand revealed a \u201ccraveable brand refresh.\u201d Their new look<\/a> features brighter, \u201chotter\u201d versions of their signature white\/blue\/red branding, a new gold-and-black design for premium offers, a brand-new font called \u201cDomino\u2019s Sans,\u201d and a fresh jingle sung by the popular artist Shaboozey.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The best thing about Domino\u2019s new restaurant branding is that it doesn\u2019t reinvent the wheel \u2014 it just elevates what customers already know and love. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our third (and final) example of good restaurant branding is Subway. <\/p>\n\n\n\nRestaurant branding fail: Cracker Barrel\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What happened with Cracker Barrel\u2019s restaurant branding<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.getcraver.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow did the public respond to Cracker Barrel\u2019s new restaurant branding?\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How did Cracker Barrel respond to the public\u2019s concerns?\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Where Cracker Barrel\u2019s restaurant branding went wrong\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
1 \u2014 It was too much, too fast\u00a0\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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2 \u2014 It strayed too far from tradition\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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3 \u2014 It came across as inauthentic\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Restaurant branding success stories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1 \u2014 McDonald\u2019s\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.getcraver.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n2 \u2014 Domino\u2019s<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.getcraver.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/4.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n3 \u2014 Subway<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.getcraver.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/5-1024x577.jpg\")
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