American restaurant chain Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL) has terminated its partnership with the design company that created its controversial new logo and restaurant renovation plans. The chain had previously launched these changes but quickly reversed course after facing intense online backlash, including criticism from former President Donald Trump.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store confirmed the partnership termination in a press release Thursday evening, announcing it would "end its relationship with Prophet" — the design firm the brand hired seven months ago to handle its rebranding efforts.

In August, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store unveiled the new logo created by the San Francisco-based design company. The redesign removed the iconic "man in overalls" and "barrel" elements from the old logo, replacing them with a more simplified design. In the initial announcement, the company stated the new logo was "closer to the iconic barrel shape and wordmark that defined the brand at its founding."

However, the change failed to achieve its intended effect. The new logo became embroiled in cultural controversy, even drawing White House disapproval, while causing the brand's stock price to decline and in-store traffic to plummet.

Within days, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store announced it would reverse course and return to its original logo.

Prophet has not yet responded to requests for comment. Beyond logo design, the company also assisted Cracker Barrel Old Country Store with restaurant interior renovations. However, after completing pilot renovations at 4 of its 660 locations, this plan has been "paused."

The heavily criticized rebranding initiative not only changed the logo but also removed the restaurants' traditional dark wood décor and numerous iconic wall decorations (tchotchkes). Cracker Barrel Old Country Store instead adopted a more modern design aesthetic dominated by white interiors.

During last month's earnings call, the company indicated that the negative impact from the rebranding controversy continues, with customer traffic expected to decline further in the coming months.

In the month following the August 19 logo change, the chain experienced an 8% drop in customer traffic. If this trend continues, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL) expects traffic to decline 7% to 8% for the remainder of the quarter.

Also on Thursday, under-pressure Cracker Barrel Old Country Store CEO Julie Masino announced several management changes. She stated these moves represent "a step forward in driving our strategy and help us focus more on delivering consistently great food and warm country hospitality."

One significant change involves the departure of Matt Benton, Vice President of Brand Marketing, who had been in the role for only one year.

Thomas Yun, a former company executive, will return to Cracker Barrel Old Country Store to replace Benton. During his previous tenure, Yun "was responsible for launching some of the company's most successful menu items in recent years while also overseeing and maintaining classic favorites."

Masino stated: "These organizational changes will streamline our structure and allow us to focus on ensuring that every dish served and every customer interaction reflects the care and quality we stand for."