Cracker Barrel has apologized for removing Duck Dynasty-related items from its shelves and is putting everything back.
“Our intent was to avoid offending, but that’s just what we’ve done,” Cracker Barrel said in a statement posted on its Facebook page Sunday morning. “You told us we made a mistake. And, you weren’t shy about it. You wrote, you called and you took to social media to express your thoughts and feelings.
“You flat out told us we were wrong. We listened. Today, we are putting all our Duck Dynasty products back in our stores. And, we apologize for offending you.”
The restaurant chain began pulling Duck Dynasty-related items after Robertson family patriarch Phil Robertson made controversial statements in GQ magazine about homosexuality.
“We continue to offer Duck Commander products in our stores,” the company said in a statement Friday. “We removed selected products which we were concerned might offend some of our guests while we evaluate the situation.”
After A&E indefinitely suspended Phil Robertson from the show, Cracker Barrel instructed workers to remove all merchandise that featured him. The Facebook post with the statement was inundated with nearly 33,000 comments from angry customers.
Included in the chorus of people who disagreed with their decision was Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council.
“Cracker Barrel must be off their rocker,” he said in a statement to Fox News. “For Cracker Barrel to take the bait of an organization like GLAAD, which has led the attack on Phil Robertson, they are betraying the values of the vast majority of their customers.”
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee also took offense.
“I have no respect for a company that bows to the slightest pressure from the politically correct,” he wrote on Facebook.
Cracker Barrel’s Sunday statement concluded, “We respect all individuals right to express their beliefs. We certainly did not mean to have anyone think different. We sincerely hope you will continue to be part of our Cracker Barrel family.”
