Don Lemon’s First Visit to Cracker Barrel
Former CNN host Don Lemon shared his excitement during a live video stream of his first-ever trip to a Cracker Barrel restaurant on Friday.
This restaurant chain recently faced criticism following a failed rebranding attempt in August, which included the controversial decision to remove “Uncle Herschel,” named after the uncle of its founder, Dan Evins. On his YouTube channel, Lemon appeared genuinely intrigued as he arrived at the popular restaurant.
“Oh, wow,” he exclaimed as he drove up. After a brief moment of uncertainty about the entrance, he made his way inside, admiring the chairs on display on the porch.
“Oh, wow. Halloween costumes. Oh my gosh. This thing is I’ve never been here. This is Christmas stuff,” he noted while walking through the shop area. “Christmas, Halloween, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving. We have it all. Christmas, Halloween, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving. Oh my gosh.”
“This is insane, I’m totally coming back to get bubblegum,” Lemon remarked before asking a staff member at the register, “I’ve never been to Cracker Barrel, so can we make this a great experience?” He even took a selfie with the employee before enjoying a meal and playing one of the games available in the restaurant.
Cracker Barrel had announced the rebranding on August 18, partnering with country music star Jordan Davis to reveal a new logo alongside several new menu items.
CEO Julie Felss Masino stated that the feedback had been largely positive, sharing with “Good Morning America” co-host Michael Strahan about the $700 million rebranding initiative. However, the chain reversed course on August 26, pledging to keep the old logo featuring “Uncle Herschel.”
“We said we would listen and we have,” the company declared in a statement. “Our new logo is going away and our ‘Old Timer’ will remain.” This decision followed comments from former President Donald Trump, who voiced his views on the matter, suggesting that the restaurant should revert to the previous logo. “Cracker Barrel should go back to the old logo, admit a mistake based on customer response (the ultimate Poll), and manage the company better than ever before. Make Cracker Barrel a WINNER again,” Trump posted on Truth Social on August 26.
