Cracker Barrel’s co-founder, Tommy Lowe, has delivered a scathing critique of the restaurant chain’s CEO after a botched rebranding. The 93-year-old accused Julie Masino of failing to grasp what Cracker Barrel stands for, pointing to her previous stint at Taco Bell. “What’s Taco Bell know about Cracker Barrel and country food?” he asked. Lowe went on to say that the chain needs to work on the food and service and leave the barrel and logo alone. The criticism comes after Cracker Barrel scrapped its controversial new logo following a flood of outrage. Lowe weighed in on the saga as Masino, who earns $6.68 million a year in salary and bonuses, refused to answer questions when approached by reporters. Lowe called the rebranding “pitiful” and said spending $700 million doing that is “throwing money out the window.” The company lost nearly $100 million in market value last week alone. In another U-turn, Cracker Barrel also deleted the “Pride page” from its website and scrubbed all references to Diversity and Inclusion efforts. Fans of the restaurant are now waiting to see just how long it takes Cracker Barrel to dump the new CEO.
