The Cracker Barrel rebrand debacle resulted in the company torching $700 million, ditching its new logo and welcoming back its old one, halting its remodeling plans, and removing its gay pride webpage. That’s the power of ticked-off customers. The co-founder of the restaurant chain watched the whole thing play out and is now speaking out.
Check out this soundbite from co-founder Tommy Lowe. (WATCH)
Cracker Barrel's 93-year-old founder has some strong words for the CEO trying to rebrand and modernize… pic.twitter.com/hHoGl8b4B5
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) August 28, 2025
Reporter: here’s the new logo
— Matt Van Swol (@matt_vanswol) August 29, 2025
93 year old founder: “oh that’s crazy…spending $700 million on that is like throwing money out into the street.”
🤣🤣🤣 I love this guy
Dude he is the best. Good ol country boy, down to earth, didn’t let money go to his head. I was friends with his neighbor until he passed way a few years back.
— The Questionable Gardner (@T_Q_Gardner) August 29, 2025
Sounded exactly like what my Grandpa would’ve said. 😂 And the echoes of our feisty relatives is what drew us to Cracker Barrel.
— Chickadee (@Chickad44472146) August 29, 2025
Looks like Cracker Barrel should have sought this senior’s sage advice.
The soundbite was just a taste. Here’s the full story from a local news station in Tennessee, where Cracker Barrel got its start. (WATCH)
Full interview. Co-Founder of Cracker Barrel Tommy Lowe says the best thing the brand can do is keep it country. pic.twitter.com/42aQve4xMs
— Brosif Gomer (@BrosifGomer) August 29, 2025
What a great old man 👏
— dr probiotico (@jorge_rdz_r) August 29, 2025
Sometimes you just have to stick with tradition and what’s worked for decades.
Some posters were sad that the aging co-founder of the chain had to witness his fabled restaurant’s fall. How could the new CEO be so dense?
The 93 year old founder built Cracker Barrel on faith, family, and real food. Now a leftist CEO blows $700 million on woke nonsense and calls it progress. When the man who started it calls it ‘pitiful,’ you know they’ve betrayed their own roots.
— Crazy girl (@crazygirel01) August 29, 2025
Surely she'll step down right? I give it by the end of the week. pic.twitter.com/Py9mWWxLks
— Jason (@AncientArgonaut) August 29, 2025
I won't go back until the CEO is gone
— James (@jrpbsp) August 29, 2025
She really needs to resign or be fired.
— Bonz (@BonzuPonzu) August 29, 2025
Horrible job she and her team did. An absolute disaster.
It must be heartbreaking to see your creation get destroyed by the younger (also stupider) people..
— World of Finance (@FinancesWorld) August 28, 2025
I couldn’t imagine founding a company like Cracker Barrel, having it blow up over your lifetime, you still love the company but you retire and pass the torch to someone else
— Marcus Dellinger (@MDellinger13) August 29, 2025
And then.. this happens
It’s amazing to learn that the new CEO never reached out to the co-founder for insight and advice. Despite the company’s reversal after suffering incredible backlash from the rebrand, many say they won’t enter a Cracker Barrel again until she’s out the door. Can’t say that we blame them.