Cracker Barrel names David Deno CEO effective August 10; Julie Masino steps down
Cracker Barrel said David Deno, former CEO of Bloomin' Brands, will become President and Chief Executive Officer and join the Board effective August 10, 2026, succeeding Julie Masino, who will also leave the Board. Masino will remain an employee until October 9, 2026 to assist the transition. The filing contains no financial results, so the leadership change is the main development for shareholders.
Key points
- David Deno, age 69, was CEO of Bloomin' Brands from April 2019 to September 2024 and will become Cracker Barrel's CEO on August 10, 2026.
- Deno's employment agreement sets a base salary of $1,000,000, an initial annual bonus target of 125% of base salary, and an initial long-term incentive target of 360% of base salary.
- Deno will receive a one-time sign-on award of $200,000 in restricted stock units and $200,000 in stock options, vesting on the third anniversary of the grant date.
- Masino's Transition Agreement provides separation payments and equity treatment consistent with a termination without Cause under her July 17, 2023 employment agreement.
The filing
Written by AI on Nov 8, 2026, 6:57 AM ET, from this filing only. Written later: this filing was briefed after the fact, when past filings were added to the site, so the brief may be read with hindsight; the filing itself is the record of what was known on July 27, 2026.
Briefs are written by AI from the filing text and can contain mistakes — open the filing before acting on anything. Impact (1-5) and tone are the AI's reading of the filing for shareholders, not a price forecast. Not investment advice.