Cracker Barrel co-founder Tommy Lowe is speaking out against the company’s current leadership, accusing its CEO of being out of touch with the Southern-country themed chain’s loyal customer base.
In an interview with FOX Business, Lowe, 93, criticized Julie Felss Masino — who previously served as president of Taco Bell and Mattel before taking over as CEO in 2023 — for pushing changes he believes run counter to the restaurant’s roots.
“Taco Bell is not Cracker Barrel,” Lowe told FOX Business. “… She knows very little about Cracker Barrel’s operation — the history, the food. The idea she’s come up with … doesn’t fit the customer. If she’d go out and sit on the front porch and talk to all the customers that come in there, she’d have a little bit of a different outlook.”
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Lowe, who helped launch the first Cracker Barrel with Dan Evins in 1969, argued that the company’s board of directors is equally responsible for what he sees as a misstep in direction.
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“I doubt that they’ve ever been in a Cracker Barrel kitchen or have an idea of what their clientele is,” Lowe said. “And the board is evidently still supporting her … And if they were any kind of board of directors, they’d have cleaned house a long time ago.”
Lowe praised Cracker Barrel’s recent decision to return to its original logo, which features the iconic “Old Timer” leaning on a barrel.
“That’s just the biggest waste of money in the world,” he said. “… They were talking about $700 million for their redo, and it was worth nothing.”
The logo change, unveiled in August, dropped the iconic man-and-barrel illustration that symbolized the brand’s Southern hospitality for more than five decades. The rebranding was part of a $700 million overhaul across the company’s 660-plus restaurants, which also included a revamped menu and decluttered dining rooms.
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However, the move sparked fierce backlash among customers and investors alike, wiping more than $140 million off Cracker Barrel’s market value at the height of the controversy. President Donald Trump even weighed in, urging the chain to return to its roots.
If he were in charge today, Lowe said he would focus on fundamentals.
“I’d bring somebody in there that knew how to run a Cracker Barrel,” he said. “… I’d bring on somebody that was familiar with the business and the food. … Do you ever try to eat grits cold or any kind of country vegetables? It’s got to be piping hot, and they’re just not training the people.”
Cracker Barrel did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.
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