Podcast Summary: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 2 - Cracker Barrel Crackup?
Date: August 21, 2025
Hosts: Clay Travis & Buck Sexton (iHeartPodcasts)
Main Theme:
This hour dives deep into the controversial Cracker Barrel rebrand, the pitfalls of companies veering away from their roots, and broader reflections on American identity, nostalgia, and cultural polarization. Interwoven humor, commentary, and notable guest Byron Donalds (Congressman and former Cracker Barrel employee) fuel the discussion.

Main Discussion: Cracker Barrel "Crackup"

Introduction and Set-Up (03:07)

• Clay Travis jokes about show flow, callbacks to a previous segment about ending the show on an "uplifting idea," and a misstep involving a suicide hotline story ([03:07–06:20]).
• Clay’s mother texts him about the family history with Cracker Barrel, setting a personal tone ([07:01]).

Cracker Barrel's Nostalgia and Brand Identity (07:01–11:44)

• Clay strongly feels that Cracker Barrel’s charm lies in its old-school Southern nostalgia—describes the menu as "what your grandma cooked if you grew up in the south" ([07:39]).

• Buck (co-host) offers a "Yankee's" outsider perspective—first encounter with country fried steak at Cracker Barrel ([08:02]).

• The hosts joke about the menu being "very beige" (Buck, [08:51]) and not gluten-free friendly.

• Key Quote:

  "I can’t think of a less hip and a less forward-thinking restaurant…that’s the strength of the brand."
  —Clay Travis ([09:32])

• Discussion on Cracker Barrel's rebrand: logo loses its “old grandfather,” move to become more “fresh” and “hip,” stock drops $8/share ($100M market cap loss) ([09:40–11:01]).

Critique of Corporate Rebranding Trends (11:44–15:20)

• Clay equates Cracker Barrel’s move to “Bud Lighting” itself, referencing Bud Light’s past marketing controversies (Dylan Mulvaney ad).

• Argues that companies need a "director of common sense"—someone who actually consumes and understands the product’s audience ([13:43]):

  "You can't be a good chef if you’re not putting that wooden spoon up to your mouth and knowing what’s going on. You gotta eat your own cooking…"
  —Co-host ([15:05])

• Sums up: If you don’t have a Southern grandma, you probably shouldn’t be running Cracker Barrel ([15:20]).

Call-In Reactions: The Cracker Barrel Experience ([15:39–18:21])

• “Steve from San Antonio” calls in, claims menu updates improved Cracker Barrel "500%." Clay and Buck are skeptical, suggesting he’s parroting the corporate line ([15:50–17:04]).

• Clay:

  "I don't buy that this guy happens to call in and give the exact corporate line that the CEO…gave this morning." ([16:52])

CEO Response & Social Media Backlash ([24:12–25:02])

• CEO (female, Michael?) says,

  "The feedback’s been overwhelmingly positive that people like what we’re doing… the buzz is so good, not only from our customers, but from our team members." ([24:32])

• Buck and Clay mock this “100% positive feedback,” referencing the mass volume of negative X (Twitter) posts ([25:10]).
• 500,000+ posts online about the Cracker Barrel rebrand: "500,000 posts about a logo change. It's wild." —Co-host ([25:10])

Byron Donalds Segment: The Former Employee’s Perspective

Featuring: Byron Donalds, U.S. Congressman (R-FL), former Cracker Barrel waiter ([26:23–36:16])

• Tells his story: Worked as a three-star waiter in Tallahassee and Naples, FL, says Cracker Barrel is a "staple of the country" ([26:49–27:58]).

• Hates the rebrand:

  "I hate it. I don’t even understand why I needed a rebrand. Cracker Barrel is a staple… Everybody comes in there to eat… Some things just are what they are. That's Cracker Barrel Old Country Store."
  —Byron Donalds ([27:58])

• Describes the Cracker Barrel menu: “Old Timers Breakfast,” French toast (“best I’ve ever had”), catfish fillets, fried okra, green beans. Alma mater=nostalgia ([29:27]).

• On executives: Warns against CEOs disconnected from their company’s customers ([31:13]):

  "Just make sure the brand is earning money...then, you know, no pun intended, but just let the place cook."
  —Byron Donalds ([31:13])

• Pushback on New York Times’ "identity politics" claim:

  "That's how you lose customers, because go look at your customer base. They're just regular people." ([33:59]) "I'm a black man. I never felt like…somebody was trying to hold me down because I was serving biscuits in the morning. It was a great [experience]." ([34:36])

• On the culture at Cracker Barrel, Donalds estimates 98% of customers were friendly, polite people just there to eat good food ([35:24]).

Discussion: Cultural Coding and "De-Southernizing" ([36:19–39:45])

• Buck articulates the coastal elite perception that Cracker Barrel is “old, white, and Southern,” thus “problematic” ([36:19]).
• Clay refutes, highlighting the overlap in Southern food with both black and white families—food as a unifier, not divider ([37:01]).
• Clay’s core point: The move to "modernize" is really an attempt to “de-Southernize” ([38:14]):

  "The reason people go to Cracker Barrel is to get a good home-cooked, old-school style Southern meal… when you’re trying to take away that which made people go to it in the first place… I don't understand."
  —Clay Travis ([38:31])

Audience Calls: Loyalists React ([46:51–47:53])

• Deborah in Virginia: "Cracker Barrel was one of my favorite restaurants…they dropped the pot roast…haven’t gone back. I don’t like [the logo change]. I think they've made a huge mistake." ([46:51])
• Ed in North Carolina: “The menu is trash, man… execution is trash…they need to improve quality control. The existing menu is good, the way they're executing it is trash.” ([47:30])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Clay, on the nature of restaurant branding:

  “The entire branding of Cracker Barrel is Southern style food. There is no competitor for that.” ([40:04])

• Byron Donalds, on rebranding:

  “Some things just are what they are. That’s Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. I don't even know why they removed that out of the name…doesn't look like what made Cracker Barrel a real staple.” ([27:58]) “If it’s cooking good food, people will continue to come. These rebrands... you need to be making sure everyone’s making money... just let the place cook.” ([31:13])

• Co-host:

  “You can't be a good chef if you're not putting that wooden spoon up to your mouth and knowing what's going on. You gotta eat your own cooking.” ([15:05])

• Clay:

  “If you didn't have a Southern grandma, you probably shouldn't be the CEO of Cracker Barrel.” ([15:20])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:07] — Show start, recap & lighter segment on show structure
• [07:01] — Clay’s family history with Cracker Barrel, nostalgia theme
• [09:40] — The Cracker Barrel rebrand explained, corporate changes
• [11:44] — Critique of rebranding and loss of “common sense”
• [15:39] — Call-in from San Antonio, skepticism
• [24:32] — Cracker Barrel CEO speaks: “Feedback overwhelmingly positive”
• [26:23] — Congressman Byron Donalds tells his Cracker Barrel story
• [27:58] — Donalds’ critique of the rebrand; defense of the brand’s roots
• [29:27] — What's great to eat at Cracker Barrel (Donalds’ menu tutorial)
• [31:13] — How good CEOs should lead, not rebrand for ego
• [33:59] — On the NYT's identity politics claims
• [36:19] — Discussion of “de-Southernizing,” cultural coding
• [46:51–47:53] — Caller reactions: nostalgia, dissatisfaction with changes

Conclusion

The hosts argue passionately—supported by strong listener and guest input—that Cracker Barrel’s enduring appeal is precisely its un-trendy, nostalgic Southern identity. The rebranding effort is perceived as a tone-deaf attempt to “modernize” that betrays the brand’s core audience, provoking skepticism, ridicule, and backlash among loyalists. Listeners from across the country, including a sitting Congressman and former employee, reinforce the idea that “common sense” and authenticity matter more than chasing trends or placating cultural critics.