Cracker Barrel co-founder Tommy Lowe, now 93 years old, has slammed the company’s recent attempt at a “modern” rebrand, calling it a betrayal of the chain’s country roots.

The company reportedly spent $700 million on a corporate makeover that included replacing the iconic barrel logo and removing beloved imagery such as “Uncle Herschel” from its traditional branding.

Lowe did not hold back. He called the new design “pitiful” and said leadership was “throwing money out the window” by chasing trends that alienate the core customer base.

“They need to work on the food and service and leave the barrel, the logo, alone,” Lowe said during a recent interview. His blunt advice? “Keep it country.”

That message struck a chord across middle America.

For many longtime patrons, Cracker Barrel is not just a restaurant chain. It is a cultural mainstay, rooted in tradition and southern hospitality.

The founder’s scathing critique gained even more weight when he revealed he has never met the current CEO, Julie Felss Masino.

That disconnect symbolized to many that the leadership has lost touch with the brand’s founding vision.

Lowe mocked Masino’s background, saying, “What’s Taco Bell know about Cracker Barrel and country food?”

Masino previously held senior roles at Taco Bell and other fast-food brands.

To longtime customers, that kind of experience does not translate into preserving the authenticity that made Cracker Barrel iconic.

Following the backlash, the company announced that it would reverse course. The new logo is being scrapped and the “Old Timer” branding will return.

A company spokesperson admitted, “We said we would listen, and we have. Our new logo is going away and our ‘Old Timer’ will remain.”

The quick about-face highlights the power of traditional American values in shaping business outcomes. When customers push back, companies have to listen.

Conservative media outlets and public figures praised Lowe’s comments as a cultural stand.

They framed the rebranding disaster as a textbook example of what happens when companies chase progressive approval at the expense of identity.

The slogan “keep it country” trended on social media, embraced by thousands of users who view Cracker Barrel’s course correction as a win for authenticity.

Activist investor Sardar Biglari, owner of Steak n Shake, joined the conversation. He publicly mocked the rebranding effort and applauded the return to tradition.

This was not just a branding misstep. It became a cultural moment. It reminded corporate America that there is a growing resistance to progressive overreach into every aspect of life, including how breakfast is served.

Lowe’s rebuke carried more weight than any marketing survey or focus group.

He built the first store in Tennessee in 1969 and his voice reflects the company’s soul, not just its bottom line.

His statement was not about clinging to the past. It was about preserving what works and rejecting the push to reinvent American staples just to please a narrow elite.