Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Masino steps down after backlash over controversial logo rebrand

It seemed like Julie Felss Masino had saved her job as chief executive officer of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. After a logo change ensnared the restaurant chain in the culture wars, Masino had the company back on track. The stock has more than doubled year-to-date, making Cracker Barrel the S&P Composite 1500 Restaurants Index’s best performer. In June, the company reported a surprise profit for the quarter and raised its forecasts for the year. One month later, Masino is out. The decision sent the shares down more than 2 percent and left some analysts scratching their heads. But women who have sat in the corner office know better. Boards are moving much faster to fire the big boss when things go bad, based on the past few years of CEO turnover rates. The phenomenon is even more acute for female CEOs, who have always been under more intense scrutiny than their male counterparts. Over the past decade, women CEOs of Russell 3000 companies left after an average tenure of 6.2 years versus 8.9 years for men, according to Exechange, which tracks executive changes. In examining the r

Julie Masino had steadied Cracker Barrel after last year’s logo firestorm. Her replacement oversaw a stock decline at his last job.

Cracker Barrel Dumps CEO After Woke Logo Fiasco Shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store have yet to fully recover from outgoing CEO Julie Masino's brief "woke" rebranding effort last year. The family-dining chain quickly restored its iconic "Old Country Store" logo and nostalgic aesthetic. Still, the failed overhaul now appears to have cost Masino her job after exposing a serious failure of brand stewardship. The Cracker Barrel controversy began on Aug. 18, 2025, when the company published a simplified logo that removed the "Old Timer" and barrel, sparking an immediate online backlash that intensified over the following week. President Trump called for the oldlogo'ss restoration on Aug. 26, and Cracker Barrel reversed the redesign later that day. Shares plunged by more than half in the months following the disastrous rebranding attempt and remain about 14% below where they traded before the controversy started. Bloomberg reports that restaurant industry veteran David Deno will replace Masino. Deno, who led Outback Steakhouse parent companyBloomin'’ Brands from 2019 to 2024, will take over on Aug. 10. Masino, CEO since late 2023, will remain as an adviser until early October. Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Michael Halen and Amir Islam said Deno inherits favorable comparisons against last year's logo-driven sales drop, though his long-term success will depend on rebuilding traffic and recruiting experienced executives. Rebuilding customer traffic starts with Deno understanding the brand's core audience and recognizing where America's Overton window now sits. It has shifted away from the left and far-left fringes toward the political center, as "woke" branding has largely vanished despite efforts by revolutionary socialist activists to revive it. Tyler Durden Mon, 07/27/2026 - 16:40

Julie Masino exits as Cracker Barrel CEO after the failed logo change and rebrand that removed Uncle Herschel sparked accusations of going "woke."