Paula Wethington is a digital producer at CBS Detroit. She previously held digital content roles at NEWSnet, Gannett/USA Today network and The Monroe News in Michigan. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina.
A Michigan private college is raising eyebrows with a social media post addressing the recent, controversial rebranding of the national restaurant chain Cracker Barrel.
Cracker Barrel, which features a Southern country-style menu, recently updated its branding to a simpler logo as part of a restaurant chain redecoration and updated menu.
The recently refreshed logo uses the same brand colors of gold and brown as historically used by the restaurant, but no longer includes the image of a man seated on a wicker-seat chair, with his arm draped over a dry goods barrel. The company refers to the seated man as Uncle Herschel.
The simpler logo is the fifth version of the restaurant's branding since the chain began in 1969, the company said in a statement.
"Our values haven't changed, and the heart and soul of Cracker Barrel haven't changed. And Uncle Herschel remains front and center in our restaurants and on our menu. He is the face of 'The Herschel Way,' the foundation of how our 70,000 plus employees provide the country hospitality for which we are known," the media relations staff said.
The change, however, resulted in a storm of reactions, as the company's stock values took a plunge. Some conservative commentators described the new design as "woke."
Hillsdale College in the Southern Michigan community of Hillsdale posted a photo of the new logo on its X social media platform account, side-by-side with a picture of a paint-spattered, vandalized statue of George Washington, adding the caption "Same energy."
The college describes itself as a Christian, classical liberal arts school and has a stance against accepting state or federal taxpayer dollars. Its programs include a series of free, noncredit online courses on topics such as Western and American heritage and the Declaration of Independence.
Follow-up posts on that social media thread from the college included:
"Some people like Cracker Barrel in the way that some other people like pizza, mayo, and the practice of law. Cracker Barrel is a good place to go with the family, eat some pancakes, play some old timey games, and recharge before taking your next Hillsdale online course."
The simpler logo is the fifth version of the restaurant's branding since the chain began in 1969, the company said in a statement.
The restaurant chain's Michigan locations include Brighton, Belleville, Port Huron and Monroe.