Cracker Barrel dethroned as fastest-growing US breakfast chain as Republican diners flee over logo fiasco: report

Cracker Barrel dropped from the fastest-growing US breakfast chain to last place as Republican customers fled in the wake of its “woke” logo fiasco — even after it backtracked on its controversial moves, according to data shared with The Post.

The Southern-style dining chain – known for its chicken-fried steak, biscuits and grits – saw its growth rate plunge 8% from mid-August to early September, knocking it off its top spot as the fastest-growing breakfast chain tracked by research firm Consumer Edge.

Waffle House, meanwhile, enjoyed a 1% uptick in sales growth – taking over the top spot and knocking Cracker Barrel to the bottom of the pack — below IHOP and tied with Denny’s.

3

Cracker Barrel’s share of GOP diners, compared to other casual-dining chains, dropped half a percentage point in the first two weeks of September from the same period last year, according to data from Consumer Edge.

It’s an especially painful loss for the Tennessee-based dining chain, which is about 30% more dependent on its GOP customers than competitors like Chili’s, Applebee’s, IHOP and Denny’s, according to the research firm.

Cracker Barrel did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

Cracker Barrel – an old-timey chain known for its tchotchkes and porch chairs – even President Trump after it revealed a new logo that erased its beloved folksy farmer Uncle Herschel. 

Its rebranding campaign also included some remodeled restaurants with brighter white painting and fewer knickknacks, which customers complained ruined Cracker Barrel’s charm.

A sharp stock decline shaved more than $100 million from the embattled company’s valuation as investors panicked over the widespread blowback.

3

Cracker Barrel reversed course on Aug. 26 – but it wasn’t enough to prevent the restaurant from losing a chunk of its share of GOP diners.

It also lost some of its market share of Democrat and independent diners, though this impact was less pronounced, according to Consumer Edge.

“Oftentimes, political affiliation is not an interesting demographic variable that our clients care about,” Michael Gunther, head of insights at Consumer Edge, told The Post.

“Recently, it’s becoming more interesting with what happened with American Eagle [and] Cracker Barrel.”

American Eagle faced criticism online over its racy denim campaign with Sydney Sweeney, which used the phrase “great genes” instead of “jeans” when discussing the blonde-haired, blue-eyed actress – which some critics slammed as a nod to eugenics. 

It took some time for the Cracker Barrel backlash to work its way into customer data.

3

“It’s pretty clear there was a slight delayed reaction,” Gunther told The Post.

“It wasn’t like, boom! And that could be also because this is not something people go to every day.”

In a statement in August, Cracker Barrel thanked customers “for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel” as it announced the old logo would remain.

Earlier that day, Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social: “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.”

“They got a Billion Dollars worth of free publicity if they play their cards right. Very tricky to do, but a great opportunity,” he wrote, adding that it’s time to “Make Cracker Barrel a WINNER again.”