They’re shaking things up.
Steak ‘n Shake is taking more shots at Cracker Barrel after the store’s disastrous rebranding, in what is becoming a supersized food fight.
Cracker Barrel faced widespread backlash after unveiling a new, modernized logo that ditched its longtime imagery. The simplified logo featured only the company’s name in black lettering over a yellow barrel shape. Missing was the image of “The Old Timer” — an elderly man leaning on a barrel — that has been part of Cracker Barrel’s branding since 1977.
A recently revealed redesign of restaurant interiors also upset loyal customers. The chain swapped its kitschy Americana knickknacks for a minimalist, modern aesthetic, a change that further stoked customer outrage.
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Steak ‘N Shake jumped on the anti-Cracker Barrel bandwagon by mercilessly lambasting the company on social media, and calling for CEO Julie Felss Masino to be fired in their latest missive against the beleaguered “Old Country Store.”
In an X post Tuesday, Steak ‘N Shake released an image of a MAGA-style red hat with the phrase “Fire Cracker Barrel CEO” printed on the crown. The post claimed the hat would be on sale soon. Steak ‘N Shake did not return Fox News Digital’s request for comment and did not confirm if the hat would actually be on sale.
Another red hat posted by Steak ‘n Shake features the slogan “Biglari was right about everything,” a takeoff on a popular Trump campaign hat. Sardar Biglari is the CEO of Steak ‘n Shake and one of Cracker Barrel’s largest investors. Fox Business reported that Biglari lobbied hard against Cracker Barrel’s rebranding efforts.
“The plan the Board has adopted involves remodeling the units with new booths and banquettes, which have not been part of store interiors to date. Yet the problem lies not in the seating but in getting more people to sit in it. We do not believe changing the furniture and altering the decor are going to change the Company’s trajectory or solve the Company’s underlying problem of declining traffic,” Biglari wrote in a scathing 7-page 2024 letter to Cracker Barrel shareholders.
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The Steak ‘n Shake CEO went on to slam the Cracker Barrel board as out of touch and unskilled in business.
“We believe the questionable transformation plan is indicative of a poorly constituted board that cannot relate to the Cracker Barrel brand or its customers. It lacks turnaround experience, and is critically missing the skill set needed to address the underlying business challenges,” he wrote.
Steak ‘N Shake’s posts against Cracker Barrel didn’t end with the mocking red hats. In another post Tuesday, the fast food joint posted a screenshot of President Trump’s advice for Cracker Barrel to go back to its old, and again called for the Cracker Barrel CEO to be fired.
“The woke CB management has even less competence than your predecessor. The CEO needs to hear ‘You’re Fired’ from her board,” the post said.
When news of Cracker Barrel’s rebranding controversy first broke, Steak ‘N Shake waded into the controversy to criticize the chain for allegedly abandoning its heritage.
“Sometimes, people want to change things just to put their own personality on things. At CB, their goal is to just delete the personality altogether. Hence, the elimination of the “old-timer” from the signage. Heritage is what got Cracker Barrel this far, and now the CEO wants to just scrape it all away,” Steak ‘N Shake posted on Aug. 21.
Cracker Barrel did not return Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
Cracker Barrel’s stock took a dive when the controversy erupted. On Monday, the company lost $143 million in market value.
Cracker Barrel announced on Tuesday that it would scrap plans for the new logo and keep the old one.
“We 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 “Old Timer” will remain,” Cracker Barrel wrote.
Steak ‘n Shake responded to the news by tweeting, “Logo is a symptom of a bigger problem! The $700 million remodel is insane! It’s bland, soulless, and an unnecessary waste of money. Instead, use this money to keep prices down to support American families. And while you’re at it, go back to making fresh biscuits every day. Fire the CEO!”
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