Cracker Barrel hilariously shut down suggestions that the company could build a store on the grounds of the White House, amid the massive renovations being made to the East Wing by Donald Trump.
The company made headlines earlier this year after its disastrous rebrand, which was slammed by consumers for being “boring” and led to a political firestorm with some influencers claiming that the brand’s new logo was “woke.”
The joke that Cracker Barrel would build one of its stores at the White House began circulating on social media earlier this week. One user shared an image generated by A.I., of a Cracker Barrel site in place of the now-demolished section of the complex.
The massively oversized, wooden store stood in the same spot that Donald Trump had earmarked for his $300 million ballroom, which companies like Palantir, OpenAI, and Google are funding.
“Wait, they’re really attaching a @CrackerBarrel to the East Wing?” the user captioned the post, which has been seen over six million times.
However, a spokesperson for Cracker Barrel quickly shot down the rumors in a cheeky reference to its disastrous rebrand, which reports say cost the company $94 million in just one day.
“You probably don't want us anywhere near a remodel,” the spokesperson wrote on X.
By that time, social media users had flooded the comments section with jokes and memes, with one even claiming that the Waffle House, not Cracker Barrel, should open a store at the White House.
“No way, they are building the People's Waffle House,” the X user joked.
Earlier this year, Cracker Barrel announced plans to ditch its iconic logo, which features a drawing of Uncle Herschel, a man resembling the uncle of the brand’s founder. The company also stated that it would be renovating the interiors of its restaurants and replacing the decor with a minimalist style.
Critics blasted the rebrand on social media, with even prominent MAGA Republicans slamming the shakeup.
“Their logo was iconic and their unique restaurants were a fixture of American culture,” Congressman Bryon Donalds wrote. “No one asked for this woke rebrand.
“It’s time to Make Cracker Barrel Great Again.”
Even Donald Trump told the brand to “go back to the old logo,” and suggested on Truth Social that the company use the scandal to get a “Billion Dollars worth of free publicity.”
The company has since chosen to retain its iconic branding and has severed ties with the consulting firm that backed the ill-fated logo change.
