The CEO of Hooters says the chain doesn’t want to be known for just big hooters anymore.
Neil Kiefer, who has been involved with Hooters since its founding in 1983 and became CEO in 1992, insists the restaurant has always been a family-friendly destination despite its famously scantily clad waitstaff.
“It&#8217;s a neighborhood place that many families frequent, and singles and couples,” Kiefer <a href="https://people.com/hooters-is-rebranding-as-family-friendly-as-ceo-insists-we-ve-never-switched-from-being-a-neighborhood-place-exclusive-11981778">told</a> People after The New York Times published a recent report on the company&#8217;s attempt to reinvent itself.  
Hooters was founded by six Florida businessmen who, according to the company&#8217;s website, “got together to open a place they couldn’t get kicked out of.” During its heyday, there were more than 420 locations in 42 states and 29 countries, and even a Hooters airline, as the Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/21/style/hooters-restaurant-chain-family-rebrand.html">reported</a>.
Things went downhill during the 2008 recession, the COVID pandemic, and amid various lawsuits. Hooters of America closed several locations and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March 2025.
But Kiefer is not ready to give up on the original concept just yet. While the CEO blames the takeover of private equity on the restaurant’s overly sexualized image, the NYT noted that scantily clad “Hooters Girls” were part of the gimmick from the start. Now, Kiefer is leaning into a different aesthetic.
“We’re getting back to what makes us a beach-themed restaurant as opposed to a girlie bar,” Kiefer told the NYT, blaming the owners of certain locations for taking the sexy image too far. 
“It was a sporty athletic look at the time, and I think in the last 10 or 15 years, a lot of the country has seen a more sexualized version of that,” he added. “That chased away a lot of customers.”
“That was never the intention when this concept started,” the CEO insisted.
When asked whether the company is trying to become more family-friendly, Kiefer <a href="https://people.com/hooters-is-rebranding-as-family-friendly-as-ceo-insists-we-ve-never-switched-from-being-a-neighborhood-place-exclusive-11981778">told</a> People the restaurant has “been that way always.”
“If you&#8217;ve ever been to a Hooters in Chicago or in Tampa Bay or in South Florida, you&#8217;re going to see tons of families, tons of children,” he said. “It&#8217;s [a] tongue-in-cheek type of beach theme restaurant.”
“I understand the word hooters, the Steve Martin joke,” he said. “It was a double entendre. It was acceptable humor back then, and it&#8217;s coming back to be acceptable humor, but it was oversexualized too much in the last 15, 20 years.”
The restaurant was named after a Steve Martin comedy routine during which he insisted that the real name for breasts should be “hooters.” 
Kiefer claims family-friendly, beach-themed locations in Florida and Chicago are doing well, though he also admits it will take time to “win customers back” after decades of a scandalous reputation. 
“We&#8217;re having success, but it&#8217;s a long road to climb out of it,” he told People.

Hooters

Hooters Says It Was Never Really About The Hooters

Business

Families

Restaurant

United States

Living on the East Coast has its perks, but one common complaint is the frustrating lack of access to In-N-Out, which is mostly located out west. But now there’s a solution.
In between filling out petitions to open more In-N-Out restaurants, hungry customers can head to McDonald’s and use a very specific hack to mimic the taste of the fast food chain’s uber-popular “Animal Style” burger. It’s about as close as East Coasters can get to In-N-Out without purchasing a plane ticket. 
It all starts with ordering a Double Cheeseburger at McDonald’s. Next, the order should be customized to include Big Mac sauce, extra pickles, and grilled onions on the burger, <a href="https://www.foodrepublic.com/2160907/mcdonalds-burger-in-out-animal-style-trick/">per </a>Food Republic. The outlet notes that this request works best during non-peak hours, as grilled onions are not a standard menu item at McDonald’s.
The customization doesn’t stop there. Hungry customers can also modify their French fries order at McDonald&#8217;s to be Animal Style. To achieve this hack, you’ll need to order an extra two slices of American cheese, grilled or raw onions, and Big Mac Sauce. It’s important to put the cheese on first so it melts, the outlet notes.
Like Chick-fil-A, In-N-Out has always been near and dear to conservative hearts. The fast-food restaurant is known for its conservative corporate culture, inspired by the Christian faith of its founders. In-N-Out, founded in 1948, has largely rejected modernization techniques used by other fast-food chains. It has a limited menu, fresh ingredients, and a commitment to quality. 
Liberals have also criticized the company for donating to Republican political campaigns and for printing Bible verses on its packaging. However, calls for boycotts usually don’t work because their fans are too loyal. 
The company was also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/donotcomply-praise-erupts-online-for-in-n-out-burgers-anti-vax-mandate-stand">praised by conservatives</a> in 2021 when it refused to enforce a COVID vaccine mandate for customers in San Francisco, temporarily closing a location and making it clear that it refuses “to become the vaccination police for any government.”

In-N-Out burgers

A Simple Hack Brings In-N-Out To Every Hometown

Fast-Food

Food

In-N-Out Burger

McDonald’s

McDonald’s customers are annoyed by what the fast food company just pitched as a bargain.
For a limited time, the McDouble will be available on the company&#8217;s &#8220;McValue&#8221; menu for $2.50. But social media commenters are pointing out that this “value” only highlights how much prices have increased in a short period, as the same sandwich once cost $1.
People were further incensed when McDonald’s discontinued its popular “Buy 1, Get 1 for $1” promo in late April. That’s been replaced by the “Under $3” menu that includes the McDouble and other items, many of which were included in the earlier promotion. 
&#8220;Look, it was my go-to lunch for work every single day. Quick, easy and 5 bucks for lunch. That&#8217;s gone, so am I,&#8221; one commenter wrote. &#8220;No reason else to go. Might only be 1 person, but that&#8217;s one customer gone.&#8221; 
“Anyone remember when McDoubles used to be 99 cents? It was only 10 years ago &#8230;&#8221; one Reddit user noted. 
&#8220;All these were 99-cent items, then it [turned] into a &#8216;value&#8217; meal, then we have what we got now,” another commenter observed. 
&#8220;Thing was a dollar, they sell billions of burgers and I&#8217;m supposed to be impressed by 2.50?&#8221; a third agreed.
McDonald’s pushed back against those criticisms, insisting that their offerings remain a great value.
&#8220;Our focus has always been on listening to our customers and meeting their needs,&#8221; McDonald&#8217;s USA said in a statement, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/mcdonalds-2-50-mcdouble-sparks-backlash-americans-say-fast-food-no-longer-cheap">per</a> Fox News Digital.
&#8220;That&#8217;s why McValue was built as a flexible platform designed to evolve with them. The under $3 menu delivers on what they&#8217;ve told us matters most: consistently great prices on their favorite items and the freedom to order what they want, when they want — no bundling required.&#8221;
The fast-food chain is also facing backlash for continuing to phase out its self-serve beverage stations, which many dine-in customers valued for free refills. 
“As confirmed in 2023, McDonald’s will be transitioning away from self-serve beverage stations in dining rooms across the U.S. by 2032,” the company said in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mcdonalds-continues-to-phase-out-popular-restaurant-feature-nationwide">statement</a> this week. “The change is being rolled out over 10 years, and is intended to create a consistent experience for both customers and crew across all ordering points, whether that’s McDelivery, the app, kiosk, drive-thru or in-restaurant.&#8221;

The McDonald’s Menu Change Sparking Nostalgia For The 99-Cent Era

Economy

McDonald’s has ticked off many customers as it continues making an unpopular change to its restaurants.
The fast-food behemoth announced in 2023 that it planned to gradually phase out self-serve beverage stations. That was not an idle threat, as many customers are now seeing this change implemented at their local McDonald’s.
&#8220;This change is intended to create a consistent experience for both customers and crew across all ordering points, whether that&#8217;s McDelivery, the app, kiosk, drive-thru or in-restaurant,&#8221; the company told USA Today in a statement in 2023.
McDonald’s confirmed that the plan was moving forward despite significant backlash.
&#8220;As confirmed in 2023, McDonald’s will be transitioning away from self-serve beverage stations in dining rooms across the U.S. by 2032,” the company <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/fox-news-food-drink/mcdonalds-quietly-ditching-popular-in-store-feature-nationwide">told</a> Fox Business this week, giving a nearly identical statement. “The change is being rolled out over 10 years, and is intended to create a consistent experience for both customers and crew across all ordering points, whether that’s McDelivery, the app, kiosk, drive-thru or in-restaurant.&#8221;
The change is being seen as a move away from in-store dining in favor of drive-thru, delivery, and digital orders. This <a href="https://www.today.com/food/restaurants/whatever-happened-to-mcdonalds-playplaces-rcna195698">lines up with</a> many restaurants being remodeled and removing play places for kids, plus generally changing the aesthetic to be more muted and modern. 
Beverages, one of the <a href="https://www.mashed.com/190582/the-real-reason-all-mcdonalds-soft-drinks-are-only-1/">biggest sources of profit</a> for the company, remain a focus for McDonald’s. Sodas have a profit margin of up to 90%, with the fast-food restaurant charging $1.50 to $4 for an item that costs 10 to 40 cents per cup, including product, packaging, and labor.
The company told Fox Business in a statement that it would introduce new items to the lineup, including “dirty sodas” that have been going viral online. 
&#8220;Our fans’ love for McDonald’s beverages runs deep … Next month, we’re building on that passion with a new era of beverages, featuring a variety of Refreshers and crafted sodas rolling out nationwide,&#8221; the statement said.

McDonald’s soda

McDonald’s Continues To Phase Out Popular Restaurant Feature Nationwide

Millennials are rejoicing as a staple of their childhood will make a triumphant return this summer.
Pizza Hut just announced that their “Book It!” summer reading program, which encourages kids to read more books in exchange for free pizza, will be making a comeback. The restaurant announced the news on social media last week.
&#8220;SUMMER OF STORIES IS BACK!” the post caption said, adding that enrollment begins today, May 1. &#8220;Get ready to turn reading time into pizza time! This summer, keep your kids&#8217; reading, learning, and loving books… all while earning FREE pizza.&#8221;
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The free program will reward young readers who hit their milestones by providing them with digital Reading Award Certificates, which are redeemable for a free, one-topping Personal Pan Pizza from Pizza Hut. Students can earn up to one free pizza per month.
The promo is available for students in grades preschool through 6th, but commenters insist it should be extended to adults, too.
“Millennials need an adult version! Some of us are still readers because of this program!” one reaction said.
“Can us Gen X and millennials get this back for us!!! Us big kid need pizza too,” a second person echoed.
“Thank you so much for bringing this program back! I have a 1st grader who we&#8217;ve been expressing the importance of reading so having this program as an incentive is helpful,” another person said.
“We are so excited! The nostalgia that our kiddo gets to participate!” another person wrote.
The Book It! program began following a 1984 initiative from President Ronald Reagan calling for more businesses to promote education. It was created by Arthur Gunther, the president of Pizza Hut at the time, and marketing executive Bud Gates, per The New York Times. More than 70 million children have participated in the program, resulting in 1.5 billion free pizzas being given out as rewards.
The summer reading Book It! Promotion will run from June 1 until August 31. Parents can sign kids up through the BOOK IT! App.

Pizza Hut

Millennials Celebrate A Childhood Staple Making A Comeback

Books

Children

U.S.

Wendy’s is reversing course on one of its most unpopular menu decisions. 
The fast-food chain is bringing back the Sweet and Sour dipping sauce after months of customer complaints. The popular sauce, a go-to pairing for chicken nuggets, was removed in September as part of a revamped lineup that included Signature, Scorchin’ Hot, Creamy Ranch, Honey BBQ, Honey Mustard, and Sweet Chili.
While Wendy’s also dropped Ghost Pepper Ranch and BBQ, neither sparked the same backlash as the loss of Sweet and Sour. 
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A Wendy’s spokesperson confirmed the sauce was making a comeback, but said its future depends on customers.  
“After nearly seven months of thousands of social media comments, posts and tags demanding its return, the beloved tangy, savory dip is back,” a spokesperson <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2026/04/27/wendys-brings-back-sweet-and-sour-dipping-sauce/89823827007/">told</a> USA Today earlier this week. 
“At Wendy’s, we’re always listening to our fans — and they made it clear they wanted Sweet and Sour sauce back,” the rep continued. “It’s available now for a limited time only. However, Wendy’s fans can ultimately determine if it sticks around by ordering the sauce with their meals and getting loud on social media.”
The official Wendy’s Instagram account shared the same messaging, urging customers to rally behind the returning sauce.
“Sweet &amp; Sour is BACK… but only for a limited time unless y’all get loud. Go get the sauce in-restaurant + like, comment and share this post to save it. SWEET &amp; SOUR ARMY DO UR THING,” the post caption <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DXolJ1ykZiO/?hl=en">said</a>.
Customers quickly flooded the post with reactions.
“Ain&#8217;t nobody want sweet chili i need my sweet n sour,” one commenter wrote.
“Y’all better bring this back permanently,” another warned.
“I can now return as a customer. No Sweet and Sour for my nuggets is a deal breaker. Keep the sauce,” a third commenter said.
“We the people petitioned for you to bring our beloved sauce back. Don&#8217;t play with our emotions and take it away again,” another person wrote. “I haven&#8217;t returned since y&#8217;all got rid of it. I&#8217;ll be in your drive thru tomorrow with expectations and hopefulness.”
The reversal comes as Wendy’s faces broader struggles. In February, the chain announced plans to close at least 300 locations in the first half of 2026 following an 11.3% drop in same-store sales, per <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wendys-value-restaurants-closing-cfd9a7865904ce569044ded5a205cf73">AP News</a>.

Wendys

Wendy’s Responds To Customers Mad About Menu Change

News

Wendy's

The CEO of Five Guys joked that his motivation behind handing out $1.5 million in employee bonuses was a fear of being murdered.
The restaurant exec Jerry Murrell seemed to be making a dark reference to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024. 
“I didn’t want anybody shooting me in the back or anything after the first day, because we really screwed it up. We had no idea that we were going to get that kind of response,” Murrell, 82, <a href="https://fortune.com/2026/03/25/five-guys-ceo-jerry-murrell-bonus-employees-bogo-burger/">told</a> Fortune of their failed buy-one-get-one promotion that made headlines earlier this year.
In February, Five Guys celebrated its 40-year anniversary with a BOGO promo, which proved so popular that it crashed the app and led to many restaurants shutting their doors early and refusing to honor it. This led to massive backlash on social media. 
The company apologized for the chaos with a <a href="https://www.fiveguys.com/news/blog/were-sorry/">statement</a> posted on its website. “We let you down, and we’re sorry,” it said. “The promotion spread far beyond what we anticipated, and our hardworking crews were placed in a difficult situation. Some locations ran out of product and had to close early. Online and app ordering experienced sporadic issues that prevented some of you from redeeming the offer.”
The apology went on to praise employees, saying this wasn’t their fault. “We also want to recognize the incredible men and women working in our restaurants. While yesterday’s issues were through no fault of their own, they handled it with the same grit and dedication that has defined Five Guys for four decades.”
Five Guys ran the promo again the following month with better preparation for how popular it would be. Murrell, founder of the popular burger joint, said he used his own money to pay out the bonuses.
“I was gonna buy my wife a new fur coat, and I spent it on [the bonus] instead,” Murrell told the outlet. “She still looks at me like I’m stupid. But I thought it was worth it. They worked so hard. They were so overwhelmed.”​
The outlet noted that Five Guys is one of the last major fast-food chains that is still private and family-owned. There are approximately 1,500 locations nationwide, meaning each restaurant received about $1,000.

Five Guys Murrell

Five Guys CEO Jokes About Why He Gave $1.5 Million To Staffers

UnitedHealthcare

WASHINGTON—Polymarket’s “Situation Room” felt tailor-made for this town.
A pop-up bar where political operatives, journalists, and insiders could gather beneath glowing screens tracking real-time odds on elections, global events, and breaking news. It&#8217;s likely that whichever of the prediction market&#8217;s employees came up with the idea was inspired by a February 28 post on X, which outlined precisely this idea.
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Idea: a bar called The Situation Room. Like a sports bar but for politics. Cable news and live feeds on the screens instead of football. Atlases and copies of Jane’s Defence Weekly on every table. Multiple sets of Risk and Diplomacy behind the bar.
— Henry Shevlin (@dioscuri) <a href="https://twitter.com/dioscuri/status/2027783152790606062?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">February 28, 2026</a></blockquote>
As of this writing, that post had 1.6 million views. Polymarket&#8217;s March 18 post announcing the bar opening has 37 million.
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We&#8217;re excited to announce &#8216;The Situation Room&#8217; by Polymarket is coming to Washington, D.C.
The world&#8217;s first bar dedicated to monitoring the situation. 🧵 <a href="https://t.co/UbdHUT5u2k" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/UbdHUT5u2k</a>
— Polymarket (@Polymarket) <a href="https://twitter.com/Polymarket/status/2034272538465841410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">March 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
The concept was simple: bring the logic of prediction markets into a physical space. Surround patrons with screens, data, and live odds. Let them literally “monitor the situation,” maybe watch some March Madness — and, of course, use Polymarket to bet on everything they saw.
It was a perfect pitch for a city of power brokers and data nerds. And so, on Friday night, Hill staffers, media types, lobbyists, and the chronically online gathered in the rain outside of Proper 21-K, a stalwart watering hole that would, for the night, become The Situation Room. What could possibly go wrong?
As it turns out: everything.
When doors finally opened after several delays, guests entered a dimly lit space wrapped in blackout curtains, lit primarily by a glowing LED sphere in the center of the room dubbed “The Globe.” It looped imagery of Earth, Polymarket branding, and even a digital Magic 8 Ball message: “The future belongs to those who can see it.”
Ironically, no one could see much of anything. Thanks to &#8220;electrical issues,&#8221; the monitors remained off all night. One frustrated attendee loudly joked, &#8220;I can&#8217;t monitor like this!&#8221;
Fortunately, Polymarket had the good sense to hire a live band, which swung out tunes like &#8220;Just the Two of Us&#8221; by Bill Withers and Grover Washington Jr. and &#8220;Chameleon&#8221; by Herbie Hancock. But even with a good band, the much-hyped “Situation Room” was left without its core feature: information. The bassist told The Daily Wire he got the gig on Wednesday and was curious to see what the bar would be like. He never got the chance.
&#8220;This was weird,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I saw the TVs off and I wondered how much I had to drink before this!”
With nothing better to do, conversations drifted toward the rise of prediction markets, the ethics of betting on real-world events, and whether platforms like Polymarket represent the future of news consumption or simply a new form of gambling.
While prediction markets have gained traction as tools for forecasting everything from elections to economic trends, Polymarket has still struggled to gain a foothold in the United States. Its main competitor, Kalshi, is accessible to American users and fully regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which under President Donald Trump has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-assembles-financial-dream-team-in-high-stakes-america-first-move" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warmed</a> to predictive markets.
Unable to build a solid user base, Polymarket has resorted to stunts like The Situation Room, or <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/strapped-new-yorkers-swarm-chaotic-mamdani-inspired-free-grocery-store-pop-up-were-in-pain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Polymarket</a>, a free grocery store pop-up in New York City.
If Polymarket&#8217;s goal was simply to garner attention, the night was a success. Instead of bar patrons monitoring the situation, one attendee joked, the entire internet was monitoring The Situation Room. The virality of the gaffe was perhaps more than the organizers could have hoped for on a smooth night.
And a smooth night it wasn&#8217;t. Security began ushering still-confused guests out around 9:00 p.m., well before the bar&#8217;s planned 11:00 p.m. last call.
“They’re getting tired of this, I guess,&#8221; one security guard told The Daily Wire while dispersing the crowd.
Asked whether the screens would be working the next day, he shrugged.
“Man, I hope so,” he said. “Otherwise it’ll be a long weekend.”

IMG_1822

‘I Can’t Monitor Like This!’ Inside Polymarket’s Disastrous DC Bar Opening

gambling

March Madness

Prediction

Washington D.C.

The Cracker Barrel rebrand debacle has been one of the most misunderstood corporate wokeness sagas of 2025. For months, it’s been held up as an example of the failures of ‘culture war conservatism,’ a tempest in a teapot that no one really cared about. Yet, we recently received data-driven proof that the backlash to one of America’s most beloved country brands has been anything but imaginary.
At first glance, it would appear the outrage from consumers and shareholders was simply about the advent of a minimalist logo. The reality, however, is that Cracker Barrel’s performance has been slipping for years. For example, if you invested $1,000 in Cracker Barrel at the start of 2021, it would be worth less than $300 today. That can’t be explained away by a simple logo change. That’s a major problem, years in the making.
But the real test for Cracker Barrel wasn’t whether customers would forgive Uncle Herschel and his wayward brand. It was whether investors would forgive the Barrel’s board of directors, specifically embattled CEO Julie Felss Masino.
On November 20, Cracker Barrel held its annual shareholder meeting, and we found out exactly how much investor trust had been destroyed. Simply put: a lot. A large percentage of investor votes are guided by the recommendation of proxy advisory firms, none of which were inclined to let Cracker Barrel walk away from the debacle scot-free.
In the lead-up to the meeting, much of the ire was focused on Gilbert Dávila, Cracker Barrel’s compensation committee chair and a marketing and diversity specialist, advising a vote against, with some firms also advising against re-electing Jody Bilney, the chair of the Barrel’s nominating/governance committee. CEO Masino wasn’t spared either, with proxy advisory firm Egan-Jones <a href="https://ejproxy.com/post/cash-is-king-the-vicious-cycle-at-cracker-barrel">recommending</a> a ‘no’ vote over the brand’s underperformance. Pay attention to these names — this is how you measure impact.
The outcome? CEO Julie Felss Masino failed to gain support from a quarter of shareholder votes. Bilney, the nominating chair, lost almost a third of shareholder support. And Gilbert Dávila, the diversity specialist, barely broke two-fifths of shareholder support, <a href="https://www.scrippsnews.com/business/company-news/cracker-barrel-ceo-survives-push-for-ouster-after-logo-controversy">resigning</a> after the meeting.
In fact, of the 10 directors up for election, seven of them didn’t break 90% support. That may not sound like much, but in a corporate context, let’s be clear: that’s a vote of “no confidence” from a very sizable number of shareholders.
For comparison, in a 2024 <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2024/06/exxonmobils-victory-over-climate-activists-is-a-win-for-its-shareholders/">pressure</a> campaign against ExxonMobil, left-wing activist efforts successfully brought down vote counts by a single percentage point — to 95%. Exxon’s CEO, Darren Woods, lost maybe 1% percent of investor support over manufactured outrage. Cracker Barrel’s CEO lost around 20% percent investor support as a result of real outrage.
If you’ll recall, Cracker Barrel made the risky and seemingly unprompted decision to change its logo in August of 2025. In an attempt to reach a younger, less nostalgia-driven audience, they removed ‘Uncle Herschel’ from the classic logo that had been emblazoned on storefronts since 1969.
But that move didn’t proceed as anticipated. The rebrand <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/cracker-barrels-new-text-only-logo-how-you-destroy-brand-critics-claim">got</a> all the wrong attention, from ordinary customers to President Trump to a wide swath of conservative commentators, with Rod Dreher <a href="https://x.com/roddreher/status/1958293733092528218?s=20">deeming</a> the marketing shift “the New Coke of corporate logos.”
And Cracker Barrel, to its very limited credit, listened. After a flurry of negative X impressions and customer protests, the company walked back the rebrand. “We hear you,” Cracker Barrel <a href="https://www.crackerbarrel.com/allthemore">announced</a>, shortly before restoring their old logo, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/03/food/cracker-barrel-drops-design-firm">firing</a> their design firm, and embarking on one of the most embarrassing rollbacks in recent corporate marketing history. “We heard clearly that the modern remodel redesign does not reflect what you love about Cracker Barrel.”
And then, you might think, the story ends. On the business side of things, however, the apology isn’t the final salvo in any marketing fumble. Customers might forgive a brand — but there was a lot more than a logo change to forgive.
Actions have consequences. It’s one of the most foundational principles of business, economics, and politics. In Cracker Barrel’s case, however, an even more foundational principle is being played out in real time: ideas have consequences. Ideas, like allowing political bias to seep into our most prominent corporate institutions, have severe consequences — like a billion dollars&#8217; worth of largely avoidable brand damage. It’s very easy to look at the Cracker Barrel saga and conclude that it’s a non-issue, a side cultural issue invented to invent victimhood where it doesn’t exist. Yet it’s not true.
Cracker Barrel’s failure isn’t a MAGA-generated victim narrative, despite what MSNBC hosts like Jonathan Capehart might <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/msnbc-host-says-hes-sick-snowflakes-slamming-cracker-barrel-logo-redesign">want you to believe</a>. The company’s struggles have hurt people of all political stripes. Using a historic, valuable brand to test pet marketing theories isn’t just a matter of X debate. It’s a threat to the financial futures of millions of Americans, including Cracker Barrel’s roughly 70,000 employees who depend on the company’s success.
Many of those Americans just made their opinions known, sending a clear sign: there’s serious trouble ahead at the Barrel. The rebrand was only the tip of a very large iceberg, and it’s not just going to be hand-waved away, least of all by the CEO and what’s left of the corporate board that allowed it to happen.
* * *
Isaac Willour is an award-winning journalist focusing on race, culture, and American conservatism, as well as a corporate relations analyst at Bowyer Research. His work has been featured at outlets including USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times Opinion, C-SPAN, and The Daily Wire. He is a member of the Young Voices contributor program and can be found on X <a href="https://twitter.com/IsaacWillour" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@IsaacWillour</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Barrel II

After Rebranding Fiasco, Cracker Barrel Takes It On The Chin In Latest Shareholder Meeting

Corporations

Cracker Barrel

Leftists

shareholders

Woke Culture

Cracker Barrel poked fun at a recent PR crisis that followed its botched rebranding campaign.
The popular family restaurant responded to a photo mocking all of the liberals having meltdowns over President Donald Trump’s White House renovation project. Various doctored images have circulated showing exaggerated additions to the property, including a gigantic Trump tower. The meme that caught Cracker Barrel’s attention showed one of its restaurants attached to the White House’s East Wing.
“Wait, they’re really attaching a [Cracker Barrel] to the East Wing?” an X account posted alongside a crying-laughing emoji.
The official Cracker Barrel X account replied, saying, “You probably don&#8217;t want us anywhere near a remodel.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
You probably don&#8217;t want us anywhere near a remodel <a href="https://t.co/b3E8P7fVJD">https://t.co/b3E8P7fVJD</a>
— Cracker Barrel (@CrackerBarrel) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrackerBarrel/status/1983660591974904233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Commenters were delighted with the company&#8217;s self-own.
“A+ self awareness&#8230; this is awesome,” conservative activist and former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines <a href="https://x.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1983697443498946588">replied</a>.
“&#8230; and just like that I want to eat there again. Wow, what a way to stage a comeback,” another popular comment <a href="https://x.com/maviddedsker/status/1983666688307642729">said</a>.
“Promote social media manager to CEO,” a third commenter quipped.
“Hahaha! You guys figured it out,” another person echoed. “Admitting your mistakes and moving on, making a meme of yourself is totally endearing. Well done. You’re redeemed!”
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Cracker Barrel was in the headlines for weeks beginning in August after it debuted a total rebrand. Outraged customers insisted that the company abandon its remodel plans and reinstate its traditional logo. Even President Donald Trump weighed in on the situation.
“Cracker Barrel should go back to the old logo, admit a mistake based on customer response (the ultimate Poll), and manage the company better than ever before,” Trump said on Truth Social. “They got a Billion Dollars worth of free publicity if they play their cards right. Very tricky to do, but a great opportunity.”
Facing mounting backlash, the company ultimately walked back its rebrand.
“You’ve shared your voices in recent weeks not just on our logo, but also on our restaurants,” a statement posted to X said. “We’re continuing to listen. Today, we’re suspending our remodels. If your restaurant hasn’t been remodeled, you don’t need to worry, it won’t be. With our recent announcement that our ‘Old Timer’ logo will remain, along with our bigger focus in the kitchen and on your plate, we hope that today’s step reinforces that we hear you.”

Cracker Barrel Redeems Itself With One Savage Social Media Post After Rebrand Fiasco

Cracker Barrel Redeems Itself With One Savage Tweet After Rebrand Fiasco

Culture

Social Issues

Twitter

Recently, some of you may have noticed the Cracker Barrel restaurant and gift store chain changed its logo. They removed the picture of the so-called “Old Timer,” who was meant to represent the chain’s southern-style comfort food and old-fashioned country store feeling, and left that space blank to represent the pit of fiery eternal damnation loud with the shrieks of the condemned into which the chain had fallen by supporting child sex changes, drag shows for children, and racist hiring practices.
The move was supposed to help the struggling chain’s finances by ensuring that no conservative customer entered one of their venues ever again. Those alienated customers would be replaced by large numbers of imaginary progressives just waiting for an old-fashioned, down-home, southern-style restaurant catering to pedophilia-adjacent homosexuals with a hankering for crunchy fried chicken.
But Right-wing activists loudly protested the logo change, and when it turned out the new imaginary customers were paying for their imaginary meals with imaginary money, Cracker Barrel was forced to replace the Old Timer in the empty space, in the hopes they could keep their usual customers and avoid the eternal shriek-filled pit of sin-tortured souls the empty space represented.
Now, at this point, the flaming shriek-filled pit of sin-tortured souls known as the American news media, began to express their opinions, which were all the same opinion, because all the American news media’s opinions are decanted from a single brain, which is kept on a lightning-lashed altar in the fog-shrouded cave-dwelling of Chernabog, who was the demon from Bald Mountain in Disney’s Fantasia, before he left to take a job in Disney’s animation department.
The opinion of the news media was that conservatives were oh-so-very silly to make such a big fuss over a meaningless logo change at a failing chain restaurant, and how far, oh how very far, American culture had fallen from those golden days when real intellectuals like Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley exchanged sparkling ideas by screaming slurs and threatening to punch each other in the face, while the Left swarmed over our institutions like locusts, devouring everything from Christianity to the First Amendment. Just how stupid could these Fox-News-Watching Neanderthals be that they would waste their energies trying to cancel an innocent restaurant that was simply trying to take their customers’ money to fund actions their customers found contemptible?
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-andrew-klavan-show">WATCH: The Andrew Klavan Show</a></h3>
And I thought to myself: Oh, American news media, how right you are! Who cares about these little meaningless changes in the culture? In fact, just for fun, I would like to suggest a few meaningless cultural changes of my own.
For instance, how about conservatives buy the rights to the gay situation comedy “Will and Grace” and reboot the show, but this time, Will embraces Catholicism, and hilarity ensues as gay Will struggles with his physical desires in order to live a life in keeping with his faith. I’m sure the elite news media wouldn’t mind a meaningless little culture change like that one tiny bit.
What about color-blind casting? The current rules are, it’s okay to have Jesus Christ portrayed by a black woman, but it’s very bad to have a deaf character portrayed by an actor who can hear. So how about, as a change of pace, we have Jesus Christ portrayed by a Jewish actor who’s deaf, and when the left says, “Hey, he’s supposed to be a black woman,” the actor can say, “What? I couldn’t hear you! I’m deaf!” I’m sure the media wouldn’t complain about that at all.
Or, I know. Let’s reboot the hit 1970’s slavery drama “Roots,” only in this version, instead of a white man heading into the African interior to capture slaves, the white slaver just waits in his ship like in real life until the black Africans bring their black slaves to him so he can take them to a country where hundreds of thousands of white men will ultimately die to free them, about fifty years before white imperialists force their African colonies to free their slaves as well. I’m sure the news media would love that fresh, original take on an old favorite. 
In fact, just for giggles, let’s change all the Left’s favorite franchises so that they represent something the Left truly despises: the American people.
* * *
This excerpt is taken from the opening satirical monologue of “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-andrew-klavan-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Andrew Klavan Show</a>.”
Andrew Klavan is the host of “The Andrew Klavan Show” at The Daily Wire. Klavan is the bestselling author of numerous books, including the Cameron Winter Mystery series. The fifth installment, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/After-That-Cameron-Winter-Mysteries/dp/1613166869/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3EGZUC370LG46&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Y_NI0mDOKeowShheDQTVx5NH-fAeimJoCD56_T0Acpl8C0mup7uJf-nGGSRLEItaaekoDnvS2vWLMa4Zd2UBXQ8Y-g-P502jOWz-Y8IX3ZQsdlO7WMLrg1xIhNoKmjCorSWUR4C2l_RbiZ7apJ1MfPzGOrrEf7AdAXX6xwnJRVP_XqUfWuMuVthTWscaU3P4vgmS86-96n-721enHfX12CFQWTajqFbVnrsDkexfUf4.6_gTH6h1Bb9Pn375QdF_VAVZSayDvjQBBKGXE-MTiFo&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=klavan&amp;qid=1754049918&amp;sprefix=%2Caps%2C80&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">After That, The Dark,</a> is now available for Pre-Order. Follow him on X: <a href="https://x.com/andrewklavan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@andrewklavan</a>
The views expressed in this satirical article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Cracker Barrel Redesigns Its Logo

The Easy Way To Ensure No Conservative Will Ever Visit Your Store

Andrew Klavan

Humor

Legacy Media

Satire

The beloved family restaurant Cracker Barrel is taking serious heat online for a rebranding effort that many fans absolutely despise.
The main update is a logo change for the first time in 47 years. 
The Southern country-themed restaurant chain first opened in 1969. It got its name from the 19th-century practice of people gathering to socialize around a barrel full of crackers outside a country store. While the original logo had just text, most customers are more familiar with the version that debuted in 1977, which included a man sitting next to a barrel.
The new logo follows the current trend of simplification and features a basic font on a plain background with no graphics. The restaurant said in a <a href="https://www.crackerbarrel.com/newsroom/news-releases/2025/aug/cracker-barrel-teams-up-with-country-music-star-jordan-davis">press release</a> that the new logo is &#8220;rooted even more closely to the iconic barrel shape and wordmark that started it all.&#8221;
But the public does not appear to be convinced.
“As a brand designer that worked at [Cracker Barrel] for almost 9 years, watching them commit brand suicide is&#8230; something,” one popular <a href="https://x.com/rikoruss31/status/1958251796557705270">response</a> on X says.
“President Trump needs to federalize Cracker Barrel and deport this CEO to Bukele’s  ̶t̶o̶r̶t̶u̶r̶e̶ ̶c̶a̶m̶p̶ correctional facility as soon as possible,” Daily Wire podcast host Michael Knowles joked.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President Trump needs to federalize Cracker Barrel and deport this CEO to Bukele’s ̶t̶o̶r̶t̶u̶r̶e̶ ̶c̶a̶m̶p̶ correctional facility as soon as possible. <a href="https://t.co/C1YD89euYe">pic.twitter.com/C1YD89euYe</a>
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaeljknowles/status/1958330927802990765?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“Cracker Barrel has been a staple for years, and they have always embraced tradition and old fashioned dining,” another person <a href="https://x.com/RedsRepair95/status/1958249125763498403">wrote</a>. “The logo was recognizable to generations of people. Why change something that didn’t need to change?”
&#8220;Depressing,&#8221; another person said.
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“Honestly, the feedback’s been overwhelmingly positive that people like what we’re doing,&#8221; Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Masino said during a recent appearance on Good Morning America. The exec joined the company in 2023 after working in senior roles at Taco Bell, Mattel, Sprinkles Cupcakes, and Starbucks.
&#8220;Cracker Barrel needs to feel like the Cracker Barrel for today and for tomorrow…the things that you love are still there. We need people to choose us, and we want people to choose us,&#8221; Masino added.
In addition to the logo change, the restaurants have been undergoing remodeling to look more modern. The exec insists store managers are keen to get their stores on the list for a remodel, but again, the reactions on social media seem to be mostly negative. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Masino should face charges for this crime against humanity <a href="https://t.co/auBFPi4bpr">pic.twitter.com/auBFPi4bpr</a>
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1958330887117971578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“The new cracker barrel remodel is biggest architectural catastrophe since penn station i’m so serious,” one person said. 
“Cracker Barrel? more like&#8230;Corporate Sterile,” another agreed.
“This is a war crime,” echoed a third.

Cracker Barrel Restaurants Lawsuit

Cracker Barrel Blasted For Rebrand That Scraps Beloved Logo: ‘Crime Against Humanity’

Cracker Barrel Under Fire For 'Depressing' Logo Redesign, Rebrand: 'Crime Against Humanity'

Social Media

Wokeness