Leadership

Activist investor Sardar Biglari continues Cracker Barrel pressure via billboard

Working Lunch: This week's political podcast looks at why one investor won't let the casual-dining chain's logo saga go. And how brands can steer clear of the political tension around Charlie Kirk's death.

In this week’s Working Lunch, Joe Kefauver and Franklin Coley of Align Public Strategies take a look at Steak & Shake CEO Sardar Biglari’s ongoing attacks on Julie Felss Masino, the CEO of Cracker Barrel. Last week, Biglari posted a billboard in downtown Nashville calling for her firing.

As an activist investor, Biglari has long been pressuring Cracker Barrel for change. Is it sour grapes over a takeover bid gone awry, the podcast asks? Or is Biglari looking for a pat on the head from the White House? Or is it both?

And the assassination of Charlie Kirk has sparked political tensions that are creeping into the restaurant world. How do brands stay out of the morass?

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