Cracker Barrel Board Member Faces Criticism Over Company Changes
A board member of Cracker Barrel is under fire due to his extensive background, which has raised eyebrows following the company’s recent rebranding efforts and renewed dedication to various values.
Gilbert Davila, aged 61, joined the restaurant chain’s board in July 2020 and is also one of its prominent shareholders. Conservative activist Robbie Starbuck has called out Davila in a video, criticizing the chain’s leadership and claiming the changes reflect a long-standing shift to the left that alienates its traditional customer base.
In the video, Starbuck challenges, “What’s this board thinking?” He points out that Davila has led a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consulting firm for the past 15 years, emphasizing his focus on DEI strategies.
Starbuck was alluding to DMI Consulting, where Davila has served as president and CEO since 2010. On the Cracker Barrel website, Davila’s biography describes him as running a significant multicultural marketing and strategy firm.
Fox Business reached out to Cracker Barrel and Davila for comment, but no responses were received by the time of publication.
Criticism has poured in from consumers after the rollout of the new logo, which replaces the previous image of a man leaning against a barrel with only the restaurant’s name in bold letters over a yellow barrel-shaped background. Additionally, the company’s restaurants have undergone changes, moving away from a kitschy décor to a more modern aesthetic.
Starbuck believes these superficial changes overlook what he perceives as a divergence from American values. In a lengthy video, he underscores the company’s participation in LGBTQ Pride events and its dedication to inclusive employment policies.
According to Davila’s LinkedIn profile, he is recognized for his understanding of multicultural markets and for embedding diverse perspectives into corporate frameworks.
Starbuck has criticized figures like Davila for influencing the recent trends in advertising. He also mentioned Davila’s previous work with Disney, where he was involved in global diversity and multicultural market development.
Before working at DMI, Davila had roles at the Walt Disney Company as well as at Sears & Roebuck, and held a director position at Coca-Cola USA.
Davila has been active with organizations such as the National Association of Advertisers and was a co-founder of the Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing.
Starbuck seems to believe that the backlash over Cracker Barrel’s new logo is about more than just design. “Americans are fed up with their culture and heritage being eroded,” he shares.
