Cracker Barrel loses fastest-growing status as GOP diners flee over logo, report finds

Cracker Barrel has fallen from the lead among the fastest-growing US breakfast chains, according to data reviewed by The New York Post. Waffle House overtook it to claim the top spot after Cracker Barrel’s growth slowed in the wake of a branding move that drew backlash from Republican diners. The Tennessee-based chain, known for chicken-fried steak, biscuits and grits, introduced a redesigned logo and brighter interiors in recent months, then reversed course and kept the old mark after customers voiced strong opposition.

From mid-August to early September, Cracker Barrel’s growth rate slumped about 8%, while Waffle House posted a roughly 1% gain in sales growth, according to Consumer Edge. The shift left Waffle House at the top of the breakfast-chain ranking, with IHOP and Denny’s following Cracker Barrel in the lineup.

Cracker Barrel’s share of GOP diners fell about 0.5 percentage points in the first two weeks of September from the same period last year, according to Consumer Edge. The chain is about 30% more dependent on GOP customers than rivals such as Chili’s, Applebee’s, IHOP and Denny’s, the data show. Cracker Barrel did not respond to a request for comment from The Post. Earlier in August, the company faced backlash after unveiling a new logo that replaced its folksy Uncle Herschel, along with some remodels that included brighter white walls and fewer knickknacks, which pleased some customers but frustrated others.

A sharp stock decline shaved more than $100 million from Cracker Barrel’s valuation as investors pushed back on the branding move and the ensuing customer backlash. On Aug. 26, Masino announced the logo reversal, saying the old mark would remain, but the decision did not halt the erosion in GOP-diner share. The impact also touched other groups, though to a lesser extent, the firm noted.

Analysts and researchers said the episode illustrates how political affiliation can become a relevant consumer metric. Michael Gunther, head of insights at Consumer Edge, said the Cracker Barrel episode shows a shift in how clients view political variables in dining data. “There was a slight delayed reaction,” he told The Post, noting that the backlash did not materialize into instant sales changes, possibly because many customers do not visit daily. The example of American Eagle’s denim campaign during the same period has also heightened attention to branding and politics.

Masino has said the company will listen to customers, and it remains to be seen how the brand evolves in the next reporting period. The data indicate the branding misstep did not just affect GOP share but also trimmed some market share among Democrat and independent diners, though the declines were less pronounced than among Republican customers.

The episode underscores how politics can intersect with consumer brands, particularly for chains with regional or nostalgic appeal. Cracker Barrel did not provide comment on the latest figures.