Cracker Barrel Is Unrecognizable After The Chain Modernizes Its Iconic Look

Being a loyal customer of a certain restaurant means you're used to its continuity — it feels familiar, and there's security in that. For Cracker Barrel fans, this familiarity was often two-fold, as the restaurant-slash-shop was decked out in a significantly old-fashioned style that many regulars saw as deeply nostalgic, a relic of a bygone era. But now things have changed. Despite successfully recovering its predominantly older customer base post-pandemic, Cracker Barrel is rapidly updating its decor in many of its locations nationwide, leaving the customers shocked. The new design is much more modern, with a white color palette and neatly-organized wall decorations.

Many people dislike the change and have taken to social media to express their disappointment. Some are upset by the feeling of losing a comforting, nostalgic place, others are simply bothered by the modernization of the decor that now looks almost too similar to every other restaurant out there — and a surprising amount of people blame millennial culture for it, too. TikTok user @pocky1673 commented on @countscapula's viral video showcasing the change that "the farmhouse millennials got a hold of it," while @Ssumie1 quipped, "they decrackered the barrel."

People who work at Cracker Barrel are among those who applaud the changes made to the decor. Apparently, the old design was too dark and closed. Now, it's open, bright, and airy. It's not just about the way the restaurant looks to the customers, it's also about how it functions. User Awkward-Rip3669 shared on Reddit that, as a maintenance worker for Cracker Barrel, some aspects of the old decor (such as the lattices) were incredibly tedious to clean and maintain. "Try cleaning brown off of a brown wall," they said. "With the new colors, we can make sure every corner is spotless." Aside from the Cracker Barrel staff, there are still customers who are indeed impressed with the direction the "Old Country Store" and restaurant is going. 

In a statement to Men's Journal, a spokesperson for the restaurant explained that the goal of the redesign was to create a better customer experience, including adding more booths, creating brighter interiors, and opening up space. The old decor was considered outdated by some, not just from a visual perspective, but also a social one, as it primarily displayed Caucasian people in all the photographs, inevitably lacking diversity. The new and updated decor appears to focus less on vintage photographs and more on old, nostalgic trinkets — and yes, you can still buy those great retro candies Cracker Barrel is known for. As of May 2025, 40 of the chain's over 650 locations have been renovated. So, if you want to visit an old-school, cluttered Cracker Barrel one last time, plan a trip — or visit the U.S. state with the most Cracker Barrel locations — soon!