Conservative activist Robby Starbuck ignited a Cracker Barrel controversy in a video, calling for a boycott over the company’s logo change and its alleged embrace of “wokeness” and LGBTQ+ support.
Robby Starbuck Cracker Barrel Video Sparks Backlash
In a 15-minute video, Starbuck detailed the Cracker Barrel logo change backlash, describing the new design as a departure from the brand’s tradition. He characterized the company’s logo makeover as going from “old American nostalgia to something cold, dead, lifeless and modern.“
Starbuck asserted that the company is “infested with left-wing activists” who prioritize “virtue signaling” over customers. He claimed the situation is a “microcosm of the parasitic operating procedure of left-wing activists.“
Focus on Cracker Barrel LGBTQ Support
The activist highlighted Cracker Barrel LGBTQ support, citing its involvement with organizations like Nashville Pride and River City Pride. He also pointed to the company displaying rainbow-colored rocking chairs, including one at its Tennessee corporate headquarters.
Starbuck mentioned the company’s connection to the Out and Equal Workplace Summit, which gave Cracker Barrel an award in 2018 for its LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group. He specifically called out former head of management training Steve Smotherman and board member Gilbert Dávila as part of this corporate shift.
The Broader Cracker Barrel Controversy
Starbuck framed the issue as being larger than just a logo. He stated, “It is about a country, it is our heritage, and it is a culture.
It’s about a power structure built to tell us that we are somehow backwards, embarrassing or bigoted.”
He further argued that certain employees are key in moving companies “toward wokeness” and away from their customers’ values. Dávila joined the board in 2020, with his consulting firm aiming to “infuse cultural relevance and creativity into every solution.“
Company Responds Amidst Boycott Calls
This criticism led to a call for a conservative boycott Cracker Barrel. Starbuck stated, “A Christian cannot give their money to Cracker Barrel, and so we won’t.“
In response to claims about its affiliation with the Human Rights Campaign, Cracker Barrel stated it “has not participated in the Human Rights Campaign Index or had any affiliation with HRC in several years.” Starbuck views the outcome as a “win-win for conservatives,” believing the company will either lose customers or revert its branding.
