John Schnatter

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John Schnatter
Born (1961-11-23) November 23, 1961 (age 62)
Jeffersonville, Indiana, U.S.
Residence Anchorage, Kentucky, U.S.[1]
Nationality American
Alma mater Ball State University[2]
Occupation Founder of Papa John's Pizza, former owner, CEO, and spokesman
Years active 1984–present
Spouse(s) Annette (m. 1987)
Children 3

John H. Schnatter (born November 23, 1961) is an American businessman and the founder, former CEO,[3] and former spokesman for Papa John's International, Inc. He founded the company in October 1984.[4]

In July 2018, John Schnatter resigned as Papa John’s chairman because he inadvertently used the word nigger in a company meeting discussing terms that should never be used in public or private communications. He claims he was "pushed" to use the slur, and that the resulting public outrage was carefully managed to pressure him to quit.[5] His departure was allegedly engineered by Papa John’s executives, and by members of the marketing agency Laundry Service, popularly described as a progressive SJW converged organization that is owned by Wasserman Media Group, which has numerous ties to liberal and left-wing causes.[6] Schnatter's ouster was seen as a further escalation in the ongoing culture wars of the late 2010s, and an attempt to strengthen society-wide restrictions on permissible speech, by moving the so-called Overton Window to the left.

Early life and education

Schnatter was born in Jeffersonville, Indiana on November 23, 1961, and graduated from Jeffersonville High School in 1980, then earned a business degree from Ball State University in 1983. In the 1980s, John Schnatter's father co-owned Mick's Lounge, a tavern in Jeffersonville.

Career

The Papa John's pizza business was founded in 1983 when "Papa" John Schnatter knocked out a broom closet in the back of his father's tavern in Jeffersonville, Indiana.[7] He then sold his 1971 Z28 Camaro to purchase $1,600 worth of used pizza equipment and began selling pizzas to the tavern's customers out of the converted closet.[8][9][10] His pizzas proved so popular that one year later he was able to move into an adjoining space. In 2009, Schnatter got the Camaro back by contacting the family that he sold the car to in 1983.[11]

Today, the company is the third largest take-out and pizza delivery restaurant chain in the world[12][13] with headquarters in Jeffersontown, Kentucky, near Louisville.[14][15][16]

The Camaro

In 1983, Schnatter sold his 1971 Chevrolet Camaro to help his father's struggling business. He used the leftover funds to start Papa John's. Decades later, he offered a reward of $250,000 for finding the car, and on August 26, 2009, Schnatter bought the Camaro back for $250,000.[17] In celebration, Papa John's offered a free pizza to anyone who owned a Camaro.[18] Schnatter's original Camaro has been on display in the company's headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky. The company owns several replicas that are used on tours and for public and TV appearances.[19][unreliable source?] On August 15, 2015, Schnatter's original Camaro was stolen along with two other classic cars in Detroit, where they were set to appear in the city's annual Woodward Dream Cruise.[20] The Camaro was recovered two days later on the city's west side with minimal damage.[21]

Personal life

Schnatter has been married to his wife, Annette, since 1987. The couple have three children: Kristine, Danielle, and Beau. The Schnatter family resides in Anchorage, Kentucky.[22] Schnatter identifies as an Evangelical Christian and is a member of the Southeast Christian Church.[23]

Schnatter made a million-dollar contribution to the Louisville Zoo's Glacier Run expansion.[24] His Calistoga Bakery sponsors a bike team and donated money to build bike trails.

Politics

In 2012, Papa John's and Schnatter received media attention after he made comments about the Affordable Care Act to a class on entrepreneurship.[25]

Schnatter had hosted a fundraiser at his home for Republican Party candidate Mitt Romney in May 2012.[26] Schnatter was amongst other wealthy contributors on a 2014 list of people affiliated with the Koch brothers and the political fundraising organizations, as reported by Mother Jones.[27]

Awards and honors

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ John Schnatter: Executive Profile & Biography – Businessweek
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ https://www.complex.com/life/2018/07/papa-johns-founder-claims-he-was-pressured-to-use-the-n-word
  6. ↑ (Retrieved July 15, 2018) https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Closing-Bell/2016/10/13/Wasserman.aspx | https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bill-clinton-casey-wasserman-reveal-590405
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ "Papa's Specialty Pizza Challenge". Papa John's Pizza. Retrieved on December 6, 2012. "Papa John's International Inc., 2002 Papa John's Blvd, Louisville, KY 40299". Archived October 23, 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ↑ 2010 "Census – Census Block Map (Index): Jeffersontown city, KY 1". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on December 7, 2012.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.USAToday.com. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

  • John Schnatter on TwitterLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 28: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
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