Leadership change follows customer protests of logo, restaurant redesigns
Cracker Barrel announced Monday that CEO Julie Masino will step down next month. She will remain with the Lebanon, Tennessee-based company in an advisory capacity until Oct. 9.
David Deno will succeed Masino on Aug. 10. Deno served as CEO of Bloomin’ Brands, which owns Outback Steakhouse and other chains, from 2019 to 2024. He has also held executive roles at Best Buy and Yum Brands, the parent company of KFC and Taco Bell.
Last August, Cracker Barrel announced plans for a simplified logo featuring only the company’s name. The chain, which operates 660 restaurants in 43 states, made the change as part of a wider plan to modernize its restaurants and appeal to younger customers. The company also started revamping some restaurants to make them lighter and less cluttered.
Many customers protested the changes and sales fell. Cracker Barrel quickly reversed the planned changes, but same-store sales were still down 1.8% in the fiscal third quarter ended May 1.
Cracker Barrel shares fell 4% in morning trading Monday.