Cracker Barrel stays silent in the wake of #BradsWife backlash
An employee’s termination went viral after her husband inquired about the reason. So far, the restaurant’s online team hasn’t answered. Here’s what PR pros can learn from it.
Cracker Barrel has found itself in unfamiliar territory with a social media controversy over a fired employee.
The hashtag #JusticeforBradsWife gained popularity after Bradley Reid Byrd posted a question to the restaurant chain’s Facebook page trying to find out why a manager at a Corydon, Indiana, store fired his wife after 11 years of service—on his birthday, no less.
Comedian Amiri King shared Brad’s gripe with his 2 million followers:
“There is a absolute s–t show going on at the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store facebook page,” King wrote. From there, #JusticeforBradsWife took off.
Now, a quick visit to Cracker Barrel’s Facebook page shows that it’s been flooded with calls for the restaurant’s social media team to answer for what happened to Brad’s wife.
Cracker Barrel must be aware of the situation, though it has chosen to remain silent. Instead, it’s gone on sharing posts about its partnership with singer Alison Krauss and mulberry pancakes.
This comment on the Alison Krauss post has around 17,000 likes:
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