Cracker Barrel named a new CEO on Monday, nearly a year after the company’s rebranding effort caused an online backlash.

Julie Masino will step down as the top executive next month, the company said in a statement. David Deno, a former chief of Bloomin’ Brands, will succeed her. Masino will stay with the company until October.

Last August, the company briefly changed its original logo — which featured an “Old-Timer” in overalls sitting in a chair and leaning on a barrel — to a simpler one that featured just the words Cracker Barrel in a smooth, brown font.

Some claimed that the design changes removed the logo’s Southern charm and that the establishment long aligned with conservative social norms had succumbed to “wokeness.” The company, based in Lebanon, Tennessee, reverted to the original logo within days.

Deno will also join Cracker Barrel’s board of directors. He was CEO at Bloomin’ Brands, which includes Outback Steakhouse and other restaurants, from 2019 to 2024. He is currently on the boards of Panera Brands and Krispy Kreme.

— Press Democrat news services