Cracker Barrel has ended its working relationship with the marketing firm behind its rebranding this summer. The restaurant chain has officially cut ties with Prophet, a consulting company it hired last year as part of its 3-year strategic rebranding strategy. Cracker Barrel also made key changes to its leadership structure, including eliminating the chief restaurant and retail operations officer, a role that was held by now-departed executive Cammie Spillyards-Schaefer. Prophet brainstormed the new minimalist logo that stripped out the iconic barrel and Uncle Hershel, rolling out a sanitized logo that was immediately panned by the public. For about a week, Cracker Barrel leadership held fast, with CEO Julie Masino (inset) insisting that “people like what we’re doing.” Despite the course change, Cracker Barrel shares have continued to plummet going into the fall. On Thursday, its stock price closed at $44.19, more than 25% down since the brief logo swap. Business analysts say the failure can be laid entirely at the feet of senior management. Employees say the problem lies with Masino, who has cut their hours, challenging her to focus more of her attention on the quality of the food.
