Cracker Barrel Restaurant chain has removed pages from its site that refers to LGBT+ pride and diversity, equity and inclusion, in the midst of backlash on Maga -right to a logo -Redesign -critics who are perceived as being too “woke.”
Once this week, a dedicated Pride page was deleted from the company’s website, according to a CNN review of archive versions.
“On behalf of Cracker Barrel’s LGBTQ+ Alliance & Deib team, we will celebrate you for being you,” read the old side. “It is our biggest mission to make sure that comfortable people mean” all people. “
LGBTQ+ and diversity, equity, inclusion and affliction groups were also scrubbed from the website.
“In connection with the company’s fire work, we recently made updates to the Cracker Barrel site, including the addition of new content and removal of out of date content,” a spokesman for the company said in response to the report. “Several months ago, the company also made changes to our business resource groups that now focus all sponsorships or events on our business development initiatives: To tackle food security, support social needs through food and reduce food waste.”
The shift in language comes after Conservatives, including Donald Trump, were cut against an updated cracker -tønde logo that removed the chain’s “Uncle Herschel” mascot, an elderly man leaning against a barrel.
Some conservatives claimed that the change was because the long -standing southern chain had suddenly gone “woke up.”
“[W]E has to break the barrel, ”declared conservative activist Chris Rufo last Thursday.” It’s not about this particular restaurant chain – who cares – but about creating massive pressure against companies that are considering any step that may appear to be ‘wokification.’ The implicit promise: Go woke up, see your stock price fall 20 percent, which is exactly what is happening now. “
“She is destroying a big American brand,” Maga influencer Benny Johnson told CNN about Cracker Barrel’s CEO, claiming the logo change had “deleted the white guy” from the company’s branding.
Soon the Trump administration joined the pile.
“Cracker Tønde has to return to the old logo, admit a mistake based on customer response (the ultimate vote) and control the business better than ever before,” the president wrote on his social media site, Truth Social, earlier on Tuesday.
“They got a billion dollars value of free advertising if they play their cards right,” he added. “Very difficult to do, but a great opportunity. Have a larger news conference today. Make Cracker Barrel a winner again.”
The Trump administration then sent a play on the logo controversy on X with a cartoon Donald Trump leaning against a barrel next to a sign reading ‘America First’ in the brand’s signature brown and orange colors, along with the caption, “Go Woke, Go Broke.”
On the same day, the company announced that it returned to its old logo.
“We thank our guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel,” the company wrote at X. “We said we would listen and we have. Our new logo will disappear and our ‘old hours’ will remain.”
During the 2024 presidential campaign and the Trump administration’s opening months, several companies have withdrawn on public obligations and messages related to DEI topics, as the White House has pushed both the government and private companies to avoid identity-focused work and advocate.
Outside of Cracker Barrel, the Trump administration has shown an unusual willingness to directly dictate the affairs of the big US companies.
The White House negotiated a 10 percent share in fighting for US chip producer Intel and has sought foreign revenue from the sale of NVIDIA and AMD chips to China.