Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Masino says she felt fired by America after emblem redesign backlash

Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Masino described feeling as though she was “fired by America” in an interview last week following the backlash over the restaurant’s controversial transforming design.

Masino mentioned her management position with The Blaze’s Glenn Beck on Thursday, a place Beck famous she still holds despite the controversy.

“This is probably very unfair to ask you. Were you surprised you weren’t fired?” he requested.

“Um, I feel like I’ve been fired by America,” Masino said with a snigger.

“That’s probably worse,” Beck remarked.

The Southern-style restaurant chain drew backlash in August after altering its iconic emblem of “Uncle Herschel” in a chair resting his arm on a barrel and introducing a more fashionable eating design.

Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Masino and Senior Vice President of Store Operations Doug Hisel converse with Glenn Beck. YouTube / Glenn Beck, and BlazeTV

The Southern-style restaurant chain drew backlash in August after altering its iconic emblem of “Uncle Herschel” in a chair resting his arm on a barrel and introducing a more fashionable eating design. BACKGRID

Masino, sitting alongside Senior Vice President of Store Operations Doug Hisel, said she only needed to “help people love this brand” the approach she does, including that she and her team never meant to revamp the entire restaurant.

“I think a lot of people think that Doug and me and other people sit around, are like, ‘Let’s remodel Cracker Barrel.’ Nothing could be further from the truth,” Masino said. “The notion for some of that truly came out of a lot of the work that we were doing on how do we improve food and experience. When we were talking to our guests, they said, ‘Stores could be a little bit more comfortable. They’re real dark. I can’t read the menu.’”

She admitted they “missed the mark” and expressed regret over disappointing prospects.

“We’re sorry that that’s what people feel,” Masino said. “That was not the intent. It was not the intent. It hurts me, because I don’t want people to be mad at Cracker Barrel. Our job is to make people love Cracker Barrel the way that our guests do, right? And so, even trying to invite new people in, it was always about how do we show them the magic that is Cracker Barrel.”

Masino admitted they “missed the mark” and expressed regret over disappointing prospects after the redesign backlash. REUTERS

A hat created by Steak N’ Shake demanding Cracker Barrel CEO fired. Steak ‘n Shake / X

The short lived Cracker Barrel redesigned emblem the company launched. BACKGRID

Cracker Barrel initially stood by the adjustments, claiming that the backlash got here from a “vocal minority.”

However, by September, Cracker Barrel started restoring its authentic emblem and restaurant fashions.

“This is a humble brand with humble beginnings here in the center of this great country,” Masino said. “Other brands that you go into, you sit down and when you look around, and you see things on the walls, they’re the brand’s story. They’re telling you about the ingredients. They’re telling you about their founding, whatever they want you to think. We don’t do that here at Cracker Barrel … This is America’s story.”

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