Cracker Barrel co-founder Tommy Lowe, now 93, found himself among the millions of Americans who objected to the bizarre rebrand that was partially axed after a week of intense backlash and financial losses.

“They’re trying to modernize to be like the competition. Cracker Barrel doesn’t have any competition,” Lowe, who co-founded the southern comfort food chain with the late Dan Evins in Lebanon, Tennessee in 1969, told WTVF.

“I heard [CEO Julie Felss Masino] was at Taco Bell. What’s Taco Bell know about Cracker Barrel and country food? They need to work on the food and service and leave the barrel, the logo, alone.”

Lowe went on to label the rebrand effort — which saw the company ditch its iconic logo in favor of a scaled-down, text-based version — as “pitiful,” adding that “spending $700 million doing that is throwing money out the window.”

Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Fells Masino is still facing calls to resign even after the company announced that it would be keeping its iconic logo earlier this week. Masino, a longtime executive with experience at Starbucks and Taco Bell, has also overseen a location-based rebrand that seeks to remodel stores to be more in line with modern restaurant chains as opposed to the heritage American feel Cracker Barrel has long been known for.

The Tennessee-based chain, which operates more than 600 locations nationwide, ignited a firestorm last week when they announced a significant change to its logo. First introduced in 1977, the logo features a man dressed as an old fashioned general store owner sitting next to a barrel. Last week, the company announced that it would be doing away with its classic signage in favor of a simplified, text-based version that does not include the barrel man.

The news kicked off intense backlash online, and from both sides of the political aisle, with both California Governor Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump among those criticizing the decision. “Cracker Barrel should go back to the old logo, admit a mistake based on customer response (the ultimate Poll), and manage the company better than ever before,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Tuesday morning.

A few hours later, the company announced a complete reversal and confirmed that the old logo will be remaining in place.

“We thank our guests for sharing your voices and love for Cracker Barrel. We said we would listen, and we have. Our new logo is going away and our ‘Old Timer’ will remain,” the company announced in a social media post.

“At Cracker Barrel, it’s always been – and always will be – about serving up delicious food, warm welcomes, and the kind of country hospitality that feels like family. As a proud American institution, our 70,000 hardworking employees look forward to welcoming you to our table soon.”

The announcement followed a catastrophic week that saw the company lose more than $143 million in market valuation.

In addition to bailing on the logo change, the company also announced that it would be ending its partnership with LGBT organizations, including Nashville Pride, after previously sponsoring the annual street festival in 2023 and 2o24.