Cracker Barrel CEO to step down a year after logo controversy

Cracker Barrel volition soon person a caller leader.

The institution announced connected Monday, July 27 CEO Julie Masino volition measurement down arsenic CEO and subordinate of the committee effectual Aug. 10. Masino volition beryllium replaced by David Deno, astir precocious the CEO of Bloomin' Brands, the proprietor of casual edifice chains specified arsenic Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill and Bonefish Grill.

Masino volition stay with Cracker Barrel arsenic an advisor until Oct. 9, the institution said.

"Following a robust and thoughtful hunt process, we are pleased to invited David arsenic Cracker Barrel's adjacent CEO," said Carl Berquist, autarkic president of the Cracker Barrel board, successful a quality release. "He brings decades of acquisition crossed the edifice and retail industries, with a beardown way grounds of starring businesses done maturation and a demonstrated committedness to operational excellence, impermanent experience, and squad subordinate engagement."

Deno said successful the quality merchandise helium is "honored to pb the Cracker Barrel team" and looks guardant to "unlocking the afloat imaginable of this singular brand." Deno began his tenure arsenic CEO of Bloomin' Brands successful 2019, having antecedently served arsenic the company's enforcement vice president and main fiscal serviceman from 2012 to 2019.

Masino's departure follows rebrand contention past summertime

The departure of Masino arsenic CEO follows an effort to rebrand the concatenation that sparked contention past summer.

On Aug. 19, 2025, Cracker Barrel unveiled a new, simplified logo. While inactive featuring the company's classical golden and brownish colour palette, it removed a antheral seated adjacent to a woody barrel. Some customers decried the logo alteration arsenic uninviting. President Donald Trump also weighed in, penning successful a Truth Social station that the concatenation could gain "free publicity" if it went backmost to its aged logo.

On Aug. 26, the aforesaid time arsenic Trump's archetypal post, Cracker Barrel said it would driblet the caller logo and instrumentality to the "Old Timer."

"We convey our guests for sharing your voices and emotion for Cracker Barrel. We said we would listen, and we have," the company's connection said. "Our caller logo is going distant and our 'Old Timer' volition remain."

Later, Cracker Barrel said it would not determination guardant with planned edifice remodels — which were intended to marque locations much modern — and also ended its partnership with the institution that advised its logo and edifice design.

During its quarterly fiscal results telephone with investors connected Dec. 9, 2025, Masino acknowledged the concatenation had a "difficult" fewer months.

"While galore of our guests are enjoying our improved nutrient and impermanent experience, we surely person much enactment to bash to regain the spot and assurance of different who person been slower to return," she said.

Gabe Hauari is simply a nationalist trending quality newsman astatine USA TODAY. You tin travel him connected X @GabeHauari or email him astatine [email protected].

This nonfiction primitively appeared connected USA TODAY: Cracker Barrel CEO to measurement down a twelvemonth aft logo controversy