Oh lord they done it now**

[Puppers]

The real issue is that these big businesses get big by having a quality product and good customer experience. They get a large customer base that is loyal to their brand because consumers associate their brand with quality and value.
Then the company will raise prices and reduce product quality and customer experience to increase revenue. Gradually brand loyalty erodes as customers get tired of paying more and getting a worse experience.

Then some overpaid brain trust of c suite dorks with some made up titles will decide that the problem isnt the bad product or poor business practice its actually that the company name is too clunky or the logo is too busy. The business will eventually fail putting tons of people out of work while the executives who killed the business get a golden parachute. Rinse and repeat.

 

[Wesson Bulldog]

Good. Now do the service in Brookhaven. (In bad need of improvement)

 

[ckDOG]

The real issue is that these big businesses get big by having a quality product and good customer experience. They get a large customer base that is loyal to their brand because consumers associate their brand with quality and value.
Then the company will raise prices and reduce product quality and customer experience to increase revenue. Gradually brand loyalty erodes as customers get tired of paying more and getting a worse experience.

Then some overpaid brain trust of c suite dorks with some made up titles will decide that the problem isnt the bad product or poor business practice its actually that the company name is too clunky or the logo is too busy. The business will eventually fail putting tons of people out of work while the executives who killed the business get a golden parachute. Rinse and repeat.

Good things and bad things in capitalism. This is one of the bad things and is just a reflection of selfish human behavior - which of course all systems are subject to and why life is full of cycles of success, peak, failure, change.

We can't be happy with making a decent consistent margin and living off it. We have to squeeze every penny of margin so we can accumulate more and more - customers and workers be damned. Sell those options and shares and ride off on into the sunset or repeat with another business. Story as old as time.

 

[Drebin]

Why wouldn't a publicly traded for-profit restaurant want to strive to be inclusive and welcoming?

That seems like an obvious goal to me.
In what world would it be smart for a public traded for-profit restaurant to create a vibe that is restrictive and cold feeling?

I think people will, in general, want to eat at a place that feels inclusive and welcoming vs a place that feels cold and restrictive.

Do you agree? If you agree, then what is wrong with her comment?

I don't care, glfr.

 

[thatsbaseball]

Hadn't paid any attention to this because I don't particularly like Cracker Barrell any way but in doing some reading this morning it seems this is not about race but has something to do with the LGTB etc people. Interesting.

 

[FormerBully]

For at least 10 years Clay has been telling us ESPN was dead, yet they keep expanding.

Can we all agree Clay Travis sucks and is nothing more than a grifter?

 

[FormerBully]

Cracker Barrel's biggest issue is that chain restaurants are dying. There are many reasons for this. One is that the economy is currently in the toilet, and the other is that the younger generation prefers local spots. I live in Tupelo and the only chain my family goes to is Buffalo Wild Wings because their endless apps deal right now is a steal with two kids. The rest of the time, we go to local spots owned by local people. It is better food and service for the cost. I am actually planning a trip to the beach for the end of September. Me and my wife are planning to stop at local spots on the way down and back.

Cracker Barrel, like other chains, are dying because of people have changed. Now, the CEO is stupid to drop millions on a logo change I could have done in my sleep. She threw gas on the fire. Also, Clay Travis can kiss my Azz!!

 

[FrontRangeDawg]

Also redesign inside to look more like an IHOP or Denny's.

This is the only reason it should be a story at all (it still shouldn't be). This interior looks like an airport.

 

[mstateglfr]

I don't care, glfr.

^ = Pain's 'tldr.

Cares enough to respond, but won't answer a question about the response.

 

[The Peeper]

Can you expound on this, elaborate further etc..

I don't remember the year but we were being considered for the Outback Bowl and I think TN got the game instead of us. Bunch of Gene's Pagers got the red azz over it and declared they would never step foot back in another Outback Steak House. Take that Outback! I thought maybe you had banned them too that year. Anybody else recall any more details?

 

[MSUDOG24]

I had no idea this was a thing and like Peeper, I couldn't have described the details of the old one other than the colors. Maybe guess a barrel but never noticed the guy sitting there.

Appears they need to try something to turn things around but "fresh and bright" seems like a hard over correction from what made it unique. You have to wonder what they'll do with all of that stuff on the walls as there is certainly a lot of it X 700.

We do WH over CB so probably haven't been in one in 20 years except a few months ago. My wife had a colonoscopy at the "colonoscopy factory" in Columbus and CB is one of the closest places to eat after 12 hours of nothing. It was funny to see what was nearly the entire waiting room earlier at the factory now all sitting at CB.

 

[85Bears]

I don't remember the year but we were being considered for the Outback Bowl and I think TN got the game instead of us. Bunch of Gene's Pagers got the red azz over it and declared they would never step foot back in another Outback Steak House. Take that Outback! I thought maybe you had banned them too that year. Anybody else recall any more details?

No , to answer your question Outback is not on my lifetime ban list. Target and Bud Light are on there. Theres a few more.

 

[Drebin]

^ = Pain's 'tldr.

Cares enough to respond, but won't answer a question about the response.

I will answer any question that's honest. And it's fun to allow myself to get drawn into the Glfr Vortex™ sometimes, but today I just don't have the energy.

 

[FrontRangeDawg]

No , to answer your question Outback is not on my lifetime ban list. Target and Bud Light are on there. Theres a few more.

Having a lifetime ban is amusing. Limiting your selection of products based on corporations that made a PR move you didn't agree with several years ago, and since then has had several different PR moves to the contrary. This is capitalism. If you think Bud Light gave a **** about LGBTQ people over other people when they ran that campaign, I don't know what to tell you. They thought it would sell more beer. It didn't work out for them, so they abandoned it. Now they've got Shane Gillis and John McKeever doing redneck stuff. You're literally the only person being affected by your bans.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

It's a cracker sitting by a barrel. Literally perfect.

View attachment 883390

 

[Chesusdog]

Why wouldn't a publicly traded for-profit restaurant want to strive to be inclusive and welcoming?

That seems like an obvious goal to me.
In what world would it be smart for a public traded for-profit restaurant to create a vibe that is restrictive and cold feeling?

I think people will, in general, want to eat at a place that feels inclusive and welcoming vs a place that feels cold and restrictive.

Do you agree? If you agree, then what is wrong with her comment?

I fail to see how the logo change reflects being more inclusive/welcoming or how they weren't that in the first place. If there was any lesson to be learned from the Bud Light debacle it is to know your customer base and stay true to it. Rednecks, at least on paper, don't really like chicks with dicks. Cracker Barrel's clientele tends to be people, mostly black and white, of the middle and lower class. Who exactly are they trying to include now, or who was being excluded?

 

[mstateglfr]

I fail to see how the logo change reflects being more inclusive/welcoming or how they weren't that in the first place. If there was any lesson to be learned from the Bud Light debacle it is to know your customer base and stay true to it. Rednecks, at least on paper, don't really like chicks with dicks. Cracker Barrel's clientele tends to be people, mostly black and white, of the middle and lower class. Who exactly are they trying to include now, or who was being excluded?

I dont know why it is more welcoming than the old sign. I hear C Suite people use corporate speak all the time that makes me question if I am missing something obvious, or if they are actively microdosing during the interview. Claiming the sign change is more welcoming and inclusive is definitely odd to see...but it very well could be that the company said 'we want to be more welcoming and inclusive and will undergo a brand refresh as part of our attempt to make that happen'...and so this sign change is part of that brand refresh.
So the sign change alone isnt enough to make the restaurant seem more welcoming and inclusive.

Perhaps the sign change should be viewed alongside the interior refresh and menu changes as an overall attempt to be more welcoming and inclusive. As to who they are trying to be more welcoming and inclusive to?...well based on an earlier post that showed annual $- they are likely trying to be more welcoming and inclusive to literally anyone. Anyone that will give them money.

That is a total guess on my part. I dont work for Cracker Barrel and dont keep up on them...I dont even work in the restaurant industry. So this is all just a guess.

 

[85Bears]

Having a lifetime ban is amusing. Limiting your selection of products based on corporations that made a PR move you didn't agree with several years ago, and since then has had several different PR moves to the contrary. This is capitalism. If you think Bud Light gave a **** about LGBTQ people over other people when they ran that campaign, I don't know what to tell you. They thought it would sell more beer. It didn't work out for them, so they abandoned it. Now they've got Shane Gillis and John McKeever doing redneck stuff. You're literally the only person being affected by your bans.

Blah blah blah. They have effectively killed their brand. You sound like a practioner of moral relativism. I don’t proscribe

 

[MSUDOG24]

Can we all agree Clay Travis sucks and is nothing more than a grifter?

He used to be pretty funny in the early days of his SEC/sports centric career but I can only assume he figured out the real money is in politics.

I always think of CT and Keith Olbermann as 2 pretty witty former sports guys who decided to go completely off the rails in opposite directions at about the same time.

 

[ckDOG]

I fail to see how the logo change reflects being more inclusive/welcoming or how they weren't that in the first place. If there was any lesson to be learned from the Bud Light debacle it is to know your customer base and stay true to it. Rednecks, at least on paper, don't really like chicks with dicks. Cracker Barrel's clientele tends to be people, mostly black and white, of the middle and lower class. Who exactly are they trying to include now, or who was being excluded?

Their customer base is old. Old people die and the base gets smaller. They are trying to get younger folks in to at least tread water. However, they are just trying to do the impossible bc younger people clearly don't enjoy the current model - otherwise they wouldn't be in this situation.

If they hitch on completely to the dying base, they fail. So I see why they are making these attempts but catering to two different sets of demographics when your original model was a niche nostalgia brand really can't be done. They are probably better off just bailing completely and setting up a new nostalgic brand that has younger customers. But I'm sure the stockholders, BOD, and CEO think they are super smart and can manage having their cake and eating it too.

But it's not woke. Crazy talk. The woke stuff is just another business model throwing out chum to their overly sensitive rage bait customers that think the world is out to get them. Now that's a good business model!

 

[RocketDawg]

I dont know why it is more welcoming than the old sign. I hear C Suite people use corporate speak all the time that makes me question if I am missing something obvious, or if they are actively microdosing during the interview. Claiming the sign change is more welcoming and inclusive is definitely odd to see...but it very well could be that the company said 'we want to be more welcoming and inclusive and will undergo a brand refresh as part of our attempt to make that happen'...and so this sign change is part of that brand refresh.
So the sign change alone isnt enough to make the restaurant seem more welcoming and inclusive.

Perhaps the sign change should be viewed alongside the interior refresh and menu changes as an overall attempt to be more welcoming and inclusive. As to who they are trying to be more welcoming and inclusive to?...well based on an earlier post that showed annual $- they are likely trying to be more welcoming and inclusive to literally anyone. Anyone that will give them money.

That is a total guess on my part. I dont work for Cracker Barrel and dont keep up on them...I dont even work in the restaurant industry. So this is all just a guess.

There was nothing "non-inclusive" about the way it was. Every time we go there are people there of all races. Of course, there are mostly white people in the one just a couple miles from me, but that's who mostly lives here. It's technically located off an "Interstate", but it's really just a local road - very little thru traffic except maybe truckers. Regardless, if some class or whatever felt left out, then go somewhere else.

Cracker Barrel screwed up.

 

[StillTbonewannabe]

You could be right, looks like they could be trying to... go simple.
Any change is being questioned now days.

I saw a graph of their revenue has been in a straight decline for years. The last two times I have went in one, it was half empty.

I think the new CEO is just grasping at straws to change anything and she looks the part of woke liberal.

If they are smart they change the logo back and hope the media attention actually translates to customers.

 

[RocketDawg]

He used to be pretty funny in the early days of his SEC/sports centric career but I can only assume he figured out the real money is in politics.

I always think of CT and Keith Olbermann as 2 pretty witty former sports guys who decided to go completely off the rails in opposite directions at about the same time.

Yes, he's political now with a hint of sports. But sports is political now as much as anything. But he's pretty book smart - he's a Vanderbilt lawyer.

Regarding Olberman - I've never cared for him. He's like an old newspaper.

 

[Drebin]

I dont know why it is more welcoming than the old sign. I hear C Suite people use corporate speak all the time that makes me question if I am missing something obvious, or if they are actively microdosing during the interview. Claiming the sign change is more welcoming and inclusive is definitely odd to see...but it very well could be that the company said 'we want to be more welcoming and inclusive and will undergo a brand refresh as part of our attempt to make that happen'...and so this sign change is part of that brand refresh.
So the sign change alone isnt enough to make the restaurant seem more welcoming and inclusive.

Perhaps the sign change should be viewed alongside the interior refresh and menu changes as an overall attempt to be more welcoming and inclusive. As to who they are trying to be more welcoming and inclusive to?...well based on an earlier post that showed annual $- they are likely trying to be more welcoming and inclusive to literally anyone. Anyone that will give them money.

That is a total guess on my part. I dont work for Cracker Barrel and dont keep up on them...I dont even work in the restaurant industry. So this is all just a guess.

While you're just guessing, you should muster up the most likely one:

The original logo of an old cracker sitting next to a barrel conjures up "old south" imagery that minorities may view as threatening. It doesn't make any sense given their average clientele, but the CEO's comments sure suggest that this is the reason.

The comments from their CEO speaks for themselves, and they speak louder when you couple them with other stuff she has done previously. But "welcoming and inclusive" are dogwhistles for something more racially polarizing. You know this but will not be interested in discussing it because you can't be honest about it.

I saw a great comment on this yesterday: Cracker Barrel is where we go for bland, underseasoned, basic country food. It's not necessarily anyone's favorite, but it's a pleasant experience when you factor in the ambiance of it all. When you get rid of the ambiance, all that's left is bland, underseasoned, basic country food. So why would anyone continue to go there.

Not a big fan of the term "woke" anymore; it's pretty overplayed. But this is a classic case of "go woke, go broke," and folks are really working hard to ignore the CEO's comments and past actions to only make this a simple rebrand. The company doubled down on it this morning, but I suspect that in three month's time, New Cracker Barrel will go the way of New Coke.

Aaaand there's your response.

 

[HailStout]

 

[mstateglfr]

There was nothing "non-inclusive" about the way it was. Every time we go there are people there of all races. Of course, there are mostly white people in the one just a couple miles from me, but that's who mostly lives here. It's technically located off an "Interstate", but it's really just a local road - very little thru traffic except maybe truckers. Regardless, if some class or whatever felt left out, then go somewhere else.

Cracker Barrel screwed up.

'Inclusive' and 'welcoming' are vague terms that are frankly undefinable in application, like for this topic.
People seem really hung up on those words and are pushing back based on how they define those words.

You reference race, but 'inclusive' and 'welcoming' dont need to literally be race based(or gender based). It could just be that Cracker Barrel has done market research and found out that a large portion of 18-35 year olds dont consider Cracker Barrel at all due to 'vibes'. That, in part, then motivates Cracker Barrel to change the decor and menu to one that they think is more welcoming(appealing) to Gen Z and younger Millennials.

Its just a restaurant chain that is clearly hurting(based on the reported annual $) trying to turn things around.
...or maybe Cracker Barrel did 0 market research and spent untold millions changing everything around so 'the gays' will eat there.

 

[dorndawg]

I saw a graph of their revenue has been in a straight decline for years. The last two times I have went in one, it was half empty.

I think the new CEO is just grasping at straws to change anything and she looks the part of woke liberal.

If they are smart they change the logo back and hope the media attention actually translates to customers.

I almost wonder if they are trying to pull a “new coke” and get a spike out of switching back

eta: I see Drebin beat me to the New Coke angle.

 

[Drebin]

'Inclusive' and 'welcoming' are vague terms that are frankly undefinable in application, like for this topic.
People seem really hung up on those words and are pushing back based on how they define those words.

You reference race, but 'inclusive' and 'welcoming' dont need to literally be race based(or gender based). It could just be that Cracker Barrel has done market research and found out that a large portion of 18-35 year olds dont consider Cracker Barrel at all due to 'vibes'. That, in part, then motivates Cracker Barrel to change the decor and menu to one that they think is more welcoming(appealing) to Gen Z and younger Millennials.

Its just a restaurant chain that is clearly hurting(based on the reported annual $) trying to turn things around.
...or maybe Cracker Barrel did 0 market research and spent untold millions changing everything around so 'the gays' will eat there.

Like I said, you can't be honest about the "welcoming and inclusive" language.

Everyone with a shred of intellectual honesty and an IQ above room temperature knows what that means in today's climate.

 

[ckDOG]

Like I said, you can't be honest about the "welcoming and inclusive" language.

Everyone with a shred of intellectual honesty and an IQ above room temperature knows what that means in today's climate.

What were her comments? A Google of "cracker barrell ceo welcoming and inclusive" results in nada for me. Closest I found is where she said the employees told her the new remodeled environment was "lighter, brighter, more welcoming". Is that what's triggering folks?

I'm sure they have some disingenuous corporate we love the gays program they beat their chest about there like almost any other public company has these days. But that's been around a while and we are going to have to boycott a lot more than Cracker Barrell if that's what this is all about.

 

[DT4248]

Like I said, you can't be honest about the "welcoming and inclusive" language.

Everyone with a shred of intellectual honesty and an IQ above room temperature knows what that means in today's climate.

"Welcoming and inclusive" to describe bland and non-descript isn't about being woke. It's about covering that you're stripping things for parts and making it as cookie cutter as possible.

CEO knows this and they're just looking at the writing on the wall that Cracker Barrel, like Hooters, isn't picking up the clientele of younger generations. So go ahead and strip for parts and make the eventual real estate sale as high dollar as possible. Get the golden parachute and dip onto destroying the next brand.

 

[dorndawg]

Like I said, you can't be honest about the "welcoming and inclusive" language.

Everyone with a shred of intellectual honesty and an IQ above room temperature knows what that means in today's climate.

We do, in the same way we know some are adamantly against those concepts.

 

[mstateglfr]

While you're just guessing, you should muster up the most likely one:

The original logo of an old cracker sitting next to a barrel conjures up "old south" imagery that minorities may view as threatening. It doesn't make any sense given their average clientele, but the CEO's comments sure suggest that this is the reason.

The comments from their CEO speaks for themselves, and they speak louder when you couple them with other stuff she has done previously. But "welcoming and inclusive" are dogwhistles for something more racially polarizing. You know this but will not be interested in discussing it because you can't be honest about it.

I saw a great comment on this yesterday: Cracker Barrel is where we go for bland, underseasoned, basic country food. It's not necessarily anyone's favorite, but it's a pleasant experience when you factor in the ambiance of it all. When you get rid of the ambiance, all that's left is bland, underseasoned, basic country food. So why would anyone continue to go there.

Not a big fan of the term "woke" anymore; it's pretty overplayed. But this is a classic case of "go woke, go broke," and folks are really working hard to ignore the CEO's comments and past actions to only make this a simple rebrand. The company doubled down on it this morning, but I suspect that in three month's time, New Cracker Barrel will go the way of New Coke.

Aaaand there's your response.

Based on the multiple year trend of $ dropping, Cracker Barrel has apparently been going woke and broke for years now...or perhaps that isnt why their $ has been steadily dropping.

To summarize your post in a genuine manner, Cracker Barrel is where older people go for bland, underseasoned, basic country food because its a pleasant experience when you factor in the ambiance.

So a company that is dropping hard in $ year after year shouldnt change how it looks, and potentially gain customers, because the small group of people who still go there may dislike it.
Doing nothing doesnt seem like a winning formula in this situation, but as I already said- I am not in the restaurant biz.



Maybe doing nothing and continuing to sell bland basic food to a dwindling client base would turn things around more than trying to refresh and rebrand.

 

[o_Hot Rock]

No , to answer your question Outback is not on my lifetime ban list. Target and Bud Light are on there. Theres a few more.

So, what beer you drink? You know every major brand has supported the rainbow bunch at some point and probably still do. They buy beer as well.

 

[85Bears]

So, what beer you drink? You know every major brand has supported the rainbow bunch at some point and probably still do. They buy beer as well.

Really, every beer company placed a transgender person in a dress on the front of their beer can to antagonize their blue collar customer base ?

 

[DT4248]

Really, every beer company placed a transgender person in a dress on the front of their beer can to antagonize their blue collar customer base ? View attachment 883685

He said supported the rainbow bunch. You just pulled what we call a strawman argument. That's an auto loss in debate class.

You must stay off socials every june if you think what he did actually say isn't true.

 

[85Bears]

He said supported the rainbow bunch. You just pulled what we call a strawman argument. That's an auto loss in debate class.

You must stay off socials every june if you think what he did actually say isn't true.

No dummy, he said every beer company “has done it too”, I pointed out that Bud Light put a transgender character in a dress on the front of their beer can to antagonize their blue collar customer base….and no other beer company has done that. Which is factual.

learn what a straw man Argument is.

 

[HailStout]

Warp core breach imminent, Commander Laforge

 

[DT4248]

No dummy, he said every beer company “has done it too”, I pointed out that Bud Light put a transgender character in a dress on the front of their beer can to antagonize their blue collar customer base….and no other beer company has done that. Which is factual.

learn what a straw man Argument is.

"So, what beer you drink? You know every major brand has supported the rainbow bunch at some point and probably still do. They buy beer as well."

"Has done it too"

You introduced a statement about putting someone on a can and antagonizing a customer base. You then said the person you were arguing with said everyone "has done it too". You then denounced that claim wrong.

It's textbook strawman. How do you go about life with this level of delusion?

 

[msstatelp1]

Also redesign inside to look more like an IHOP or Denny's.

That looked like a hostage video or a “please don’t hate us” video

 

[85Bears]

"So, what beer you drink? You know every major brand has supported the rainbow bunch at some point and probably still do. They buy beer as well."

"Has done it too"

You introduced a statement about putting someone on a can and antagonizing a customer base. You then said the person you were arguing with said everyone "has done it too". You then denounced that claim wrong.

It's textbook strawman. How do you go about life with this level of delusion?

lol. Is this your other handle golfer ?

clearly one beer company has done something the others haven’t. That’s not a straw man dummy