Cracker Barrel execs earned failing grade for pay, performance from proxy advisory firm last year

Core Insights - Cracker Barrel's leadership received a failing grade from Glass Lewis in their pay-for-performance metric for the fiscal year 2024, indicating a significant disconnect between executive pay and company performance [2][6] - The company is undergoing a transformation project, which includes a controversial rebranding effort that faced backlash from customers and investors [12] Group 1: Performance Metrics - Glass Lewis assigned Cracker Barrel an "F" grade for fiscal year 2024 and "D" grades for fiscal years 2022 and 2023, highlighting a severe disconnect between pay and performance relative to peer firms [2] - The transition to a new CEO, Julie Felss Masino, in August 2023, heavily influenced the pay practices for the year under review [3][6] - The weighted average of three years of average compensation was significantly impacted by the CEO transition and one-off awards from the previous year [6] Group 2: Financial Developments - Cracker Barrel announced plans to invest between $600 to $700 million in capital expenditures through fiscal year 2027, starting pilot testing for remodels at two locations [7] - The company implemented an 80% dividend cut and experienced slower-than-expected traffic in FY2024, leading to a 14.5% decline in stock price on the announcement day [8] Group 3: Rebranding Efforts - The rebranding initiative included a revamp of the classic logo, which was met with significant backlash and led to a stock slide, prompting the company to revert to the original logo shortly after [12] - Following the reversal of the rebranding, Cracker Barrel's stock rallied back to near its August high of $62.55 but has since declined to around $54 [13] - Despite recent volatility, Cracker Barrel's stock is down approximately 1.7% year-to-date but has increased by 35% over the last six months and 39% over the past year [14]