Cracker Barrel quietly removes LGBTQ+ Pride and DEI page from website

Cracker Barrel has quietly removed its website page dedicated to LGBTQ+ Pride and diversity, equity, and inclusion after facing backlash from conservatives over its proposed logo change.

Cracker Barrel's Pride page now redirects to its "Culture and Belonging" page, removing information about the restaurant chain's LGBTQ+ Alliance and DEIB Team. The page was taken down around the time the company announced it would stick with its original logo instead of a planned rebrand.

Related: What is DEI, what does it mean, and why are companies really getting rid of it?

The restaurant chain, known for its Southern Americana aesthetic, announced the logo update as part of a $700 million rebrand meant to attract younger customers. The changes included removing the barrel and the man, known as Uncle Herschel, using only the company name.

The changes were met with ire from conservative influencers such as Matt Walsh, Charlie Kirk, and Robby Starbuck, who called on their followers to boycott Cracker Barrel. The outrage resulted in the company's stock dipping 12 percent — it rose 7 percent after the company announced it would return to the original logo, according to CNBC.

Starbuck, a failed filmmaker turned failed congressional candidate who believes that pesticide turns children LGBTQ+ and that the COVID-19 vaccine caused Matthew Perry's death, took credit for the removal of Cracker Barrel's Pride page. He wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "It is now socially unacceptable to promote trans causes or DEI and it’s unacceptable to use our money for Pride events."

Related: Who is Robby Starbuck? This is the anti-LGBTQ+ conspiracy theorist convincing companies to drop DEI

Starbuck has been targeting companies for their DEI efforts even before Donald Trump took office and signed executive orders against the initiatives, pushing brands such as Tractor Supply, John Deere, and Harley-Davidson to end their DEI programs by threatening to mobilize his social media followers to boycott their products.

Several studies show that both employees and customers value businesses with DEI, which can affect turnover and profits. More than half of workers in the U.S. (52 percent) said that focusing on DEI at work is mainly a good thing, according to a 2024 Pew Research survey, and companies with above-average diversity in management reported innovation revenue 19 percent higher than those with below-average diversity, a study from Boston Consulting Group found.

Americans are also twice as likely to buy or use a brand that supports LGBTQ+ rights, according to a GLAAD survey, and those ages 18 to 34 are over five times more likely to want to work at a company if it publicly supports LGBTQ+ rights.