Cracker Barrel has found itself in the middle of controversy from both sides of the political aisle, and it doesn’t appear that its run of poor PR is set to end anytime soon. According to reporting from The Independent, a Black employee named Roberta Mendez has filed a federal lawsuit against the franchise for racism she says she endured while working at a Nashville, Tennessee, location. Mendez claims her white coworkers regularly called her “nappy head ni**er”, “burnt biscuit”, and “monkey.” She also claims that her shift leader straight-up told he,r “I don’t like Black people”.
In addition to the verbal abuse, Mendez says she was frequently physically attacked and that the management at the location segregated the white employees from the Black employees. In 2023, Mendez says she flagged the racist treatment to her bosses and was given a written citation. When she complained to the HR department, she was told simply not to sign the write-up.
In August 2024, Mendez took her complaints to Cracker Barrel corporate, explaining “her treatment and the treatment of other Black employees,” andwas promptly fired a month later for “breaking company policy”. While those who were accused of racism received no punishment.
Says attorney Kyle Biesecker:
“Next, Cracker Barrel will file their answer to the complaint and discovery will proceed from there,” Biesecker said. “We expect depositions to bear out many of the facts as alleged by Ms. Mendez.”
We hope this woman takes every dime that Cracker Barrel makes.
In related news, according to NBC News, Cracker Barrel has also announced that it has caved to conservative pressure to retain their old logo after previously announcing that they would be making their branding and restaurant interior designs more modern.
“You’ve shared your voices in recent weeks not just on our logo, but also on our restaurants. We’re continuing to listen,” the company said in a statement Tuesday. “Today, we’re suspending our remodels. If your restaurant hasn’t been remodeled, you don’t need to worry, it won’t be.”
What a bunch of cowards. SMFH.
