Why Do We Call Them Crackers?

 Let's start at the beginning: I have never been inside a Cracker Barrel. Not the eponymous barrel which once contained soda crackers, nor the Southern-style food and retail store that began springing up in 1969 to emulate that "down-home" experience that we all crave. The barrel in question was where folks used to gather when they came to socialize and toss around the news of the day inside the country store. This chain is found primarily along the U.S. Interstate highway system, allowing weary travelers to find a home away from home while they are traveling. Attempting to escape from home. 

Go figure. 

My family's travels were predominantly in the Southwest corner of this great land of ours, where a Cracker Barrel can be found, but certainly not in the concentration that exists in states like Texas and Florida. 

Which may be why there was a great deal of fuss made recently when, after more than fifty years, the powers that be at Cracker Barrel decided to change their company's logo. The original version featured an old-timer leaning up against, you guessed it: A Cracker Barrel. Beneath the name of the establishment, there was a reminder of just what your average consumer might find inside: Old Country Store. The fresh new logo gets rid of that reminder and jettisons the old-timer. Just the words: Cracker Barrel. Critics were quick to rage at the corporate machine that took away all that extra art and explanation. They kept the gold and brown palette, For the first time since 1977, there was no old-timer on the sign to welcome weary travelers. Or ironic visitors looking for a chance to sneer. 

The Tennessee-based company introduced their grand new scheme, called "All the More." Cracker Barrel heads announced  "refreshed restaurant remodels" and "an enhanced brand look and feel" while remaining committed to their old values and priorities.  Sarah Moore, Chief Marketing Officer of Cracker Barrel, wanted everyone to know, “Our story hasn’t changed. Our values haven’t changed. With ‘All the More,’ we’re honoring our legacy while bringing fresh energy, thoughtful craftsmanship, and heartfelt hospitality to our guests this fall.”

Faux News and their viewers beg to differ. "It takes away from heritage. When you're eighty-one years old, you kind of remember the way the place started," Pensacola resident Joseph Crawford, a Vietnam veteran, told Fox News Digital. "And this has taken away from it. It's the old things that the country was founded on. The honesty. The truthfulness. Your word meaning something seems to be forgotten." 

Okay. But it's not like Cracker Barrel is going to start serving avocado toast or selling Pride flags in their gift shops. They changed their logo. This little dalliance with brand loyalty cost the company one hundred million dollars in value. Even the former game show host's son had to weigh in. I say we shouldn't judge a company by their loge, bur rather by the content of their hash brown casserole.