Posted on 07/27/2026 7:48:44 AM PDT by T.B. Yoits
Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino is stepping down after the failure of her “woke” rebrand last year, which was rolled back following intense backlash from loyal customers, the company announced Monday.
Masino will remain at Cracker Barrel in an advisory capacity until October 9 to ensure a smooth transition, the company said.
Shares in Cracker Barrel plunged 5.3% Monday morning.
Her departure comes after less than three years at the helm, during which diners revolted against the company’s attempts to modernize the Southern dining chain last August by axing its beloved mascot Uncle Herschel and revamping restaurants without its trademark tchotchkes.
Masino’s exit comes as somewhat of a surprise, since it has been nearly a full year since the Lebanon, Tenn.-based chain reversed the rebrand and the embattled chief executive has remained in her position – even giving several interviews on her experience navigating the controversy.
In early 2025, Cracker Barrel’s stock was in freefall after Masino admitted the chain was “just not as relevant” as it used to be.
By August, the company had revealed its plans for a $700 million transformation across more than 660 restaurants – which had already started at some locations in the spring – in an attempt to add new customers to its dwindling fanbase.
It included white paint, bright lighting and decluttering the walls of knickknacks in restaurants, as well as erasing from the logo its folksy farmer mascot Uncle Herschel, who had been part of the design since 1977.
Over the next week, Cracker Barrel watched its sales crater – losing its market share of Republican diners, its most loyal base, according to Consumer Edge data.
Its stock also plunged, wiping out hundreds of millions of dollars in value, though it has since started to bounce back.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Common sense is not a requirement to be a CEO ? LOL
Back in the day we used to make it a point to eat at Cracker Barrel.
Now it’s just another chain restaurant out on the interstate.
RE: Food Place.
1) a little too controversial sign content.
2) Is already going to be on the new Mamdani people’s revolutionary food outlet signs in New York City. With phonetic pronunciation guide under the words and Spanish and Arabic before the English words.
Gosh, FINALLY.
What took so darn long??
Double barreled surname with big, thick Karen glasses
This woke woman had red-flags all over the place.
Just being a woman doesn’t make you a genius.
She certainly is NOT a genius...that is for sure.
“Masino will remain at Cracker Barrel in an advisory capacity…”
…”don’t do what I did”
I suspect the board kept searching and searching for a replacement without success (who would want to inherit that mess?), and decided not to renew her contract despite not having a replacement lined up.
Last couple of times we went to the one closest to us the table was sticky and the food was average at best.
Too many other options to put up with that.
Having said that, it’s all about the management and crew but you only have one chance to make a good impression.....after two strikes I was done.
The younger generation doesn't want to be reminded that prior generations had to work harder just to survive. The millennials want to pretend that they have it harder than anyone ever has. But catering to that market of customers alienates the ones who've kept CB up and running.
Why was she still there?
I would bet she never ate at any of the Cracker Barrel locations and certainly didn’t survey actual customers to know what they liked about the restaurant. You would think the Bud Lite fiasco would have been a wake up call to avoid being woke.
She had to get another year of income to fund her retirement. They can brag about having had a female ceo.
most importantly, was she there long enough to be handed her golden parachute before being shoved out of the airplane?
I know! Wasn’t it like two years ago or so?
At least she admitted she effed up. That’s a rare quality nowadays.
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