Cracker Barrel
I used to like Cracker Barrel. I didn’t eat there often but I enjoyed the food when I was there. I enjoyed the atmosphere, I even enjoyed the kitschy gift shop. I haven’t been to one since before this kerflufffle – more from lack of opportunity than politics. It was still “Cracker Barrel” last time I visited.
Sometimes just knowing some little piece of my culture is there is enough even if I don’t visit often.
I don’t think I’ll visit again.
Damn the DEI woke …
Words of Robby Starbuck:
The American people are sick of having our culture and heritage stripped from us.
All these things that are nostalgic Americana are constantly being stomped on, and we’re being told that there’s something wrong with it, that we should be ashamed of it in some way, that it needs to be replaced with something more inclusive or more driven by these DEI characteristics,” he continued. “I think people are just sick of it. We’ve had enough, and we don’t want our whole country stripped down to where we have no semblance of, you know, that sort of nostalgic Americana culture.
I’ve been watching old late 50s/early 60s TV westerns with Mrs DT – turns out my foreign-born wife likes them (so do I – much better without commercials). Most of these have the advance warning “Outdated cultural depiction” and rated PG (violence, smoking, drinking). I guess good wins over bad, often by use of guns along with no “woke” elements is outdated but these shows were morality plays suitable for children of that era. I was of the later edge of the “hippies” and while some of it sank in, most of it did not (for example, I learned to despise Democrats when I heard McGovern speak). I guess that’s me.
So I prefer to be outdated based on nostalgic American culture. It wasn’t outdated nor nostalgic in the time I was raised; it’s too bad those of today (and apparently so many of my generation as well) feel such morals are inappropriate and obsolete.
“All alone and trapped in time….”
I wrote something about Cracker Barrel the other day, similar to this post. It’s a fairly long drive, either east or west of us, to get to one (about 45 mins) and we have to across cities to get there, so we mostly don’t. Probably been 10 years or more.
The more I avoid society the more quickly I recognize it’s “pressure” when I enter it. People that are in society most of the time do not recognize this pressure directly but they do indirectly. There’s a penalty for it, maybe it’s called stress.
When I leave the compound the drive is downhill to a stop sign at a county road and sometimes I have to wait for a vehicle to go by. pressure Then a 2 mile drive to another stop sign and more waiting. and more pressure. Whether I turn right, left, or go straight it’s a least 10 mins before I hit another intersection and I have a little room to breath.
The other day I stopped at Speedway to fill a 5 gal tank with gas and went inside to pay for it. There was only one worker there and a youngish dood at the counter was struggling with his phone trying to pay for his purchases, a Monster and a bag of chips (about $5 worth of stuff) and it wasn’t working for him. I don’t do that phone-pay stuff so I don’t know what it was about. It was probably a case of his auto-paycheck hadn’t made it to the bank yet and he didn’t have the funds. Meanwhile I, and by then several other people had to wait while this younger dood saved time with his technology.
The clerk told him to move to the side and I stepped up and said, “I’d like to get $10 of 87 on pump 3.”, and slapped a 10 dollar bill down, spun, left.
Just like that. Nobody is saving any time with technology, they are wasting it. But it’s being disguised to make it look like they are getting things done when they ain’t. Technology my ass. more pressure
I get back on the road and head for the house. I have to go through a small ville with lots of foot traffic. Pedestrians turn half their brain off, especially when staring at their handheld technology device. That “Box of Colors” hypnotizes them into believing these 2 tons shapes of metal don’t exist until such time reality rears it’s evil head and makes them pay. pressure
Coming out of the west side of the ville I get on Helmsburg Road and I feel my blood pressure relax. A narrow 2 lane and an almost continuous tree arch. The air cools in the tree shade, the traffic thins way out, and I can slouch down in the seat a little bit. pressure release.
Every now and then a passing vehicle but mostly not. I’ve traveled this 15 min drive on Helmsburg Rd many times and never seen another human at all. But I always see wild animals. You know, birds, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, deers, the occasional ground hog. Nice peaceful folks of the 4 leg variety, not in a hurry to get anywhere or tell you how it is. relax, take it easy
I don’t fit in society any more and I don’t mind that, as long as I can stay out of it. Both I, and society, have changed and we have went in opposite directions. It’s the people, and the system. Maybe mostly the system. On a one to one basis I can get along with most people. But when grouped it is different. If forced to participate I get a little nervous inside and am looking for the exit sign.
My wife and I have created our world in our own design and it is here where we are our best. This is where I stay til I die……
peace out
I’m a Boomer and proud of it dammit.
We grew up with pride, respect and appreciation for life.
We were taught manners and that hard work was how you made progress.
We got educated by living and not just in a classroom.
The new kids won’t even notice when we are gone…or care.
I don’t want to witness that.
Wife and I are in the PI for VAC. Got a five hour tour of Tokyo during the 10 hour layover. Got to see a Buddhist temple, large and famous buildings and some of the tourist nightlife areas. It was hot in Japan but the weather has been mild in the PI so far. Overcast and rain has kept down the heat. We are visiting family and old friends. Headed to Cebu in a few days. Practicing my Tagalog on the locals and they are patient, sometimes giggling at my efforts. Don’t want to shortchange myself as I am semi conversational. Got an ice cold local San Mig beer last night at the hotel restaurant with my wife last night. Tasted so good I had another. Happy to be able to check in here and see my NAD friends doing well.
Itaas mo!/Cheers!
When I was stationed at Clark AB, and lived off base, I could stop by the neighborhood Sari-sari store and have a case of San Miguel delivered to the house, cold, for a couple’o bucks (or was it as much as $5? I forget.).
Ito ang Beer!!
Starbuck tells us…..
….which calls into question: Is Cracker Barrel part of the “American culture and heritage”?
And try as I might, I’m having a hard time believing that it is. Yeah, I’ve eaten at Cracker Barrel. There’s one in my city….not completely inconvenient to us but not too far away either. For some strange reason, the lovely Mrs. azlib developed a hankering for Cracker Barrel during the Covid years, and we’d order online and then pick it up. By no means is Cracker Barrel one of our favorites…..we’re there maybe once every 18-24 months. The food is OK, but nothing special, and the rocking chairs and gift shop do nothing for me.
I see Starbuck’s position as emblematic of many on the Right. Five minutes ago, nobody cared about Cracker Barrel…they were just a restaurant chain serving restaurant chain food. I have no idea how they become an American icon. If Cracker Barrel’s corporate leadership thinks that their brand has become old and stale (and if so, I think that they’re right), and thinks that an update will serve them well, then that is their choice. They’ll either succeed or they’ll fail. IMO, either way, America will go on.
As always, YMMV.
But wait, there’s more!
Yes, 60/40 and YMMV>
From over here:
https://eatgrueldog.wordpress.com/2025/08/23/from-robby-starbuck-on-cracker-barrel/
Cracker Barrel has been one of the most loved brands in America for decades… That changed this week with a logo redesign that infuriated the public but… the problem goes MUCH deeper than a logo.
@CrackerBarrel has gone fully woke and now it’s time to expose everything. Here’s the highlights you need to know: • Cracker Barrel has funded “all ages” Pride events for many years like Nashville Pride and Third River City Pride. • Cracker Barrel worked with the far left HRC organization and reportedly sponsored HRC events for 10 years. They even brought an HRC representative to their Tennessee HQ to do a pronoun and transgenderism training. We’ve included photos of this in the video. As a reminder, the HRC supports child sex changes and men in women’s bathrooms. They work to normalize/legalize both things and they work to force transgenderism in the workplace. • Cracker Barrel worked with a group called Conexión Américas as part of their DEI efforts. This group helps illegal immigrants, providing them lawyers and the executive director opposes President Trump’s deportations. • Cracker Barrel sponsored the Out & Equal LGBTQ Workplace Advocate Conference and presented a workshop on how Cracker Barrel has made progress supporting LGBTQ+ causes. This group works to push sexual topics and pronouns into the workplace. • Cracker Barrel was awarded Out & Equal’s 2018 top LGBT ERG group award and they won the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce “Corporate Diversity” award. • CB created a special “diverse” suppliers program focused on increasing “diversity” among suppliers. To most people this just reads as: less white people. • Had Coming out day pamphlets passed out at their TN headquarters as well as pamphlets about supporting “LGBTQ YOUTH” and creating “Safe Zones” at work, free from “heterosexist or cwordgendered comments and actions” (X will downrank my post if I spell that word out). If you said anything activists would describe as “heterosexist” then you were told that you’d be “educated” by their LGBT office group. • CB has had multiple DEI focused employees and had CB employees attend DEI roundtables. • CB had pride flags at their corporate office. • CB promoted the Stonewall riot to employees and on their website despite the fact that the Stonewall Inn was reportedly owned by the mafia, rife with drug dealing and also the site of teen “prostitution” for older men. • Had a Cracker Barrel employee on the HRC’s business advisory council. • Has ERG groups in the office that are divided by race and sexual preferences. • A total commitment to DEI policies. • CB has had MANY activist employees driving this far left policy agenda, including a head of training + management, top execs and a board of directors member who owns a DEI consulting firm. To put it mildly, Cracker Barrel has forgotten who their core customers are. It’s time for us to remind them. They depend on YOU to keep their business afloat so now YOU have to ask yourself: Do you want to fund people or companies that hate your values? It’s time to remind them who their customers are. If you think their values don’t align with yours and you’re a customer who wants to speak out, you can write to them here: https://guestrelations.crackerbarrel.com/s/contactsupport
Reporters can also call their reporter hotline at: 615-235-4135 or email them: media.relations@crackerbarrel.com Remember to ALWAYS BE KIND. Many in customer service agree with you. Being rude hurts our cause! I give everyone permission to use my video and what we found to make your own content. You can rip this, clip this, make your own content, etc. You can even monetize my video. Just get this information to everyone you know. We have to take our power back as consumers. Every company needs to get the message that THIS ENDS NOW.
OK, so on the one hand, Starbuck seems to argue that Cracker Barrel is a cultural icon and that changes to it’s character is an attack on American values.
And now he’s saying that Cracker Barrel is a thoroughly woke company, having given substantial support to LBGTQ causes and embracing DEI in every way.
If the second view is true, then I think that Cracker Barrel’s recent changes are not changes at all, but are part and parcel of what they have always been: a thoroughly progressive company.
We all know that Ben and Jerry’s and Levi’s have made no secret of their views on political and social matters. Might it be that Cracker Barrel has always had a progressive view and that the public simply hasn’t paid attention to it until now?
I think that it is fairly commonplace to find leadership at large- and medium-sized companies to lean to the left. Starbuck has been on a quest to shine a light on this, which is his right. My guess is that Starbuck has a list that he’s moving through.
Don’t reactively attack the messenger.
I agree with much of what you’ve written.
There’s a longer view in all this and I’ll get into it at another time.
One thing I won’t stand for is to be lied to or led to believe things are different than they are. CB can do whatever it wants and it most likely won’t effect me one way or another. But, for 1 second consider if the term “woke” is a substitute for “communist”.
Just read Cracker Barrel is changing back to the original logo.