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.
David Deno, a restaurant exec who most recently served as CEO of Bloomin’ Brands, which owns Outback Steakhouse, will replace Masino on August 10, according to a Cracker Barrel press release.
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.
Following heated backlash from longtime customers and even President Trump himself, Cracker Barrel reversed the changes and leaned into its folksy charm – ultimately sending the stock up 100% so far this year.
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.
Last November, Masino told Glenn Beck, radio host of “The Blaze,” that she felt she had been “fired by America” after he asked whether she was surprised that she managed to keep her job.
That same month, Cracker Barrel shareholders had voted to oust DEI marketing executive Gilbert Dávila from the company’s board – but spared Masino despite an activist campaign by investor Sardar Biglari, who accused them both of years of mismanagement.
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.
Cracker Barrel initially defended the rebrand, writing in a social media statement: “While our logo and remodels may be making headlines, our bigger focus is still right where it belongs…in the kitchen and on your plate.”
Attacks on the company only intensified, with President Trump calling for Cracker Barrel to abandon the change, writing: “Cracker Barrel should go back to the old logo, admit a mistake based on customer response (the ultimate Poll), and manage the company better than ever before.”
Five days after it initially defended the rebrand, Cracker Barrel reversed course.
During an earnings call in September, Masino admitted the rebrand was a misstep and pledged to “lean into Uncle Herschel and the nostalgia around the brand.”
Credit: Source link
