July 27 - Cracker Barrel said on Monday that Julie Masino will step down as chief executive officer effective August 10, concluding roughly three years in the post. The company added that Masino will continue to serve the business in an advisory capacity through October 9.
Cracker Barrel has named restaurant industry veteran David Deno as its incoming chief executive. Deno’s most recent role was CEO of Bloomin’ Brands. He has also held senior positions at Best Buy and Yum Brands.
The leadership change arrives in the shadow of a branding controversy that played out in 2025. In August of that year the company drew intense criticism on social media and from conservative commentators, including former President Donald Trump, after moving to modernize its logo and refresh its stores. The redesign included plans to replace the long-standing "Old-Timer" signage that featured the figure known as "Uncle Herschel" leaning against a barrel.
Following the reaction, Cracker Barrel reversed course. The company said it restored the prior logo and abandoned the planned rollout of a more contemporary store layout.
In September 2025 the company disclosed that the backlash had reduced store traffic and that it expected annual revenue to come in below prior estimates. Those developments coincided with a sharp share-price decline last year, when Cracker Barrel’s stock fell nearly 52 percent. The stock, however, has doubled so far this year. After the CEO succession was announced on Monday the shares were down about 4 percent.
Separately, the company said last week it had divested part of its Maple Street Biscuit business and that it expected to exceed its core profit outlook for fiscal 2026.
Contextual notes
The company’s personnel change, the reversal of its branding strategy, prior traffic and revenue effects, recent divestiture activity, and the volatile stock performance are the items the company has disclosed publicly. The company did not provide additional forward-looking operational details in the statement accompanying the leadership announcement.