DEI Consultant On Cracker Barrel Board Raises Questions From Upset Customers [WATCH]

Cracker Barrel is facing criticism from consumers and conservative activists after unveiling a new logo, redesigned interiors, and continued promotion of diversity initiatives.

Much of the backlash has centered on one of the company’s board members, Gilbert Davila, who has spent years working in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consulting.

Davila, 61, joined Cracker Barrel’s board of directors in July 2020 and is listed among the company’s top individual shareholders.

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He is also the president and CEO of DMI Consulting, a firm he founded in 2010 that describes itself as “a leading multicultural marketing, diversity & inclusion and strategy firm in the United States.”

Meet Gilbert Davila, one of the board members for Cracker Barrel. He’s led a DEI strategy firm since 2010 AND he was a VP working on “Diversity” at Disney. That’s his experience.

He also pushes for DEI in advertisements.

Cracker Barrel is infested with DEI & wokeness. pic.twitter.com/j0ryQskAQk

— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) August 21, 2025

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Conservative activist Robby Starbuck called attention to Davila’s background in a video criticizing the company’s recent direction.

Starbuck argued that Cracker Barrel’s leadership has been steering the restaurant chain away from its traditional values and customer base.

“What qualified him for this board seat?” Starbuck asked in his video.

“Well, you see, he’s owned a DEI consulting and strategy firm for 15 years that focuses on pushing DEI and DEI advertising.”

Starbuck said the chain’s changes are not simply cosmetic, but part of a broader cultural shift.

The controversy followed Cracker Barrel’s announcement of a new logo, which replaced the image of a man leaning on a barrel with a simpler design: the restaurant’s name in black text over a yellow, barrel-shaped backdrop.

The company also redesigned restaurant interiors, replacing its rustic Americana style with a modern look.

Starbuck argued that the changes reflect a move away from the chain’s middle-America identity.

He said the company has been participating in LGBTQ pride events and implementing DEI-based hiring policies, describing it as part of a trend seen in other corporations.

“People like him are behind the woke advertising push that we’ve seen in recent years,” Starbuck said, referring to Davila.

“And he was also one of the people responsible for DEI at Disney.”

According to Davila’s LinkedIn page, he is “widely recognized… for his multicultural market knowledge and his proven track record on how to best embed a multicultural perspective into a corporation’s entire operation.”

Before founding DMI Consulting, Davila spent seven years at The Walt Disney Company, serving as vice president of global diversity and multicultural market development from 2003 to 2010.

He previously worked at Sears & Roebuck Company as vice president of multicultural management and at Coca-Cola USA as a marketing director.

Davila also co-founded the Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing under the Association of National Advertisers, where he continues to serve as a director.

Starbuck’s video, which runs about 15 minutes, pointed to Davila’s background as evidence of why Cracker Barrel has moved toward embracing progressive cultural positions.

Cracker Barrel has been one of the most loved brands in America for decades… That changed this week with a logo redesign that infuriated the public but… the problem goes MUCH deeper than a logo.@CrackerBarrel has gone fully woke and now it’s time to expose everything.

Here’s… pic.twitter.com/lgkFd0wc2V

— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) August 23, 2025

“The American people are sick of having our culture and heritage stripped from us,” Starbuck told Fox News Digital last week, framing the reaction to the company’s changes as part of a larger frustration with corporations adopting DEI and similar policies.

Fox Business reached out to Cracker Barrel and to Davila’s firm, but neither responded by the time of publication.

The debate over Cracker Barrel’s new look and leadership decisions comes as major brands across the country continue to face questions from consumers about their alignment with political and cultural issues.

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