I went to have lunch at a local Cracker Barrel the other day. I was not trying to make a political statement, but seeing all the hup-bub about them updating their logo reminded me how much I enjoyed eating there.

The restaurant was crowded with people and I wondered how many of them (if any) were there due to the decision to go back to the old logo (their stock jumped more than 8% following news that the restaurant chain was dropping the updated logo).

It’s not the first time a national company has tried to “refresh” its brand. The most famous example was the Coca-Cola Company’s 1985 decision to change the formula of its flagship soda, replacing it with “New Coke” to boost declining market share. The company faced a huge consumer backlash and quickly re-introduced the original formula as Coca-Cola Classic. (New Coke was eventually re-branded as Coke II in 1990 and was discontinued in 2002).

Many blamed Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino for not understanding their customer base and even accused the company of becoming Woke.  “WTF is wrong with @CrackerBarrel??!” Donald Trump Jr. said in response to a post on X that implied the logo may be motivated by diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. I wonder when was the last time he visited one.

Such a major change to any national brand would have to include market research, focus study groups and deep data dives. Conspiracy fanatics are claiming the whole thing feels like a marketing ploy by releasing the most generic logo possible, announcing it as the “new look,” and waited for the internet to erupt. They claim Cracker Barrel knew that outrage would spread because people love a distraction these days and bring attention to a struggling brand and bring back diners by “caving in” and going back to the former logo.

I understand brand loyalty and consumers who don’t want change, but what confuses me is the passion many took to air their discontent of the logo change. Unlike New Coke, the Cracker Barrel menu didn’t change. There were no reports of the restaurant using less butter and lard (which helps make their food extra yummy). So why was there such an uproar? Was it because patrons would be worried, they would be seen as Woke?

It also makes me wonder why people felt such a passion over the rebranding of a restaurant logo, but not other issues facing our country. Where is the outrage over another school shooting? I suspect if there is one issue everyone in America can agree upon is that mass shootings need to stop. I know the answer to that is hard and complicated, but it feels like we don’t even know where to begin so we just throw our hands up (or put them in prayer mode) and move on to the next crisis.

Remember; “Not to decide is to decide” – Harvey Cox.