John Schnatter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Schnatter
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Schnatter at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2013
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| Born |
John Hampton Schnatter
November 22, 1961 Jeffersonville, Indiana, U.S.
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| Other names | Papa John |
| Alma mater | Ball State University |
| Occupation | Founder, former CEO, and Chairman of Papa John's Pizza |
| Years active | 1984–2018 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) |
Annette Cox
(m. 1987; sep. 2019) |
| Children | 3 |
John Hampton "Papa John" Schnatter (born November 22 or 23, 1961) is an American businessman. He is famous for founding the Papa John's pizza chain in 1984. Schnatter started his pizza business in the back of his father's tavern. He sold his car to buy used kitchen equipment. By 2017, his wealth was estimated to be over $1 billion.
Schnatter stopped being the CEO of Papa John's on January 1, 2018. This happened after he made comments about the National Football League (NFL). Papa John's had a business deal with the NFL. Schnatter said the NFL was not doing enough about player protests during the national anthem. He felt these protests were hurting his company's sales. After his comments, the NFL ended its partnership with Papa John's.
After leaving his CEO role, Schnatter remained the chairman of the company's board. In July 2018, he resigned from this position too. This was after a private company call where he made a controversial remark. Schnatter later said that the board unfairly forced him out.
Contents
Early Life and Education
John Schnatter was born in Jeffersonville, Indiana, in 1961. His mother worked as a real estate agent. His father was a judge in Jeffersonville. John has German family roots.
He finished Jeffersonville High School in 1980. He then earned a business degree from Ball State University in 1983. In the 1980s, his father co-owned a tavern called Mick's Lounge in Jeffersonville.
Building a Pizza Empire
How Papa John's Pizza Started
Schnatter created Papa John's Pizza in 1984. He began by selling pizzas from a small closet in his father's tavern. He sold his 1971 Chevrolet Camaro car for $1,600. He used this money to buy pizza-making equipment.
His pizzas became very popular with the tavern's customers. Just one year later, he moved his business into a bigger space next door. The company became publicly traded in 1993. This meant people could buy shares in the company.
A year after that, Papa John's had 500 stores. By 1997, it had opened 1,500 stores. In 2009, Schnatter got his original Camaro back. He offered a $250,000 reward to find it.
Growing the Business and Leadership Changes
In the late 1990s, Schnatter moved the company's main office. It moved from Jeffersonville, Indiana, to Louisville, Kentucky.
In early 2005, Schnatter stepped down as president and CEO of Papa John's. However, he stayed on as the chairman of the board. He returned as CEO in 2008. For a short time in 2010, he even shared the CEO role with another person.
Leaving Papa John's Pizza
Controversy with the NFL
In October 2017, Schnatter spoke on a call with investors. He blamed the National Football League for Papa John's poor sales. He said, "The NFL has hurt us." He was talking about the national anthem protests by football players. Papa John's was the NFL's "official pizza company" at the time.
Schnatter said the protests were hurting the company's sales. Later that day, Papa John's announced a change. They would remove the NFL logo from their ads.
Stepping Down as CEO
On December 21, 2017, Schnatter announced he would leave his CEO role. This decision came because of the controversy over his comments. Steve Richie, the Chief Operating Officer, took over as CEO on January 1, 2018.
The company said Schnatter would still appear in ads and on pizza boxes. He was also the company's biggest shareholder. He remained chairman of the board at that time.
Resignation from the Board
In July 2018, Schnatter was on a training call with marketing experts. This call was to help him avoid making public comments that could harm the company. During the call, Schnatter made a controversial remark. He resigned as chairman of the board the same day this incident was reported. He also stepped down from the University of Louisville board of trustees.
Legal Actions and Agreements
On July 26, 2018, Schnatter filed a lawsuit in Delaware. He wanted to see the company's financial records. Papa John's had stopped him from accessing these records after he resigned. He said the company was trying to cut ties with him unfairly. The company also took steps to prevent him from buying back a majority stake in the company.
In January 2019, a judge ordered Papa John's to give Schnatter access to its records. A settlement was reached on March 5, 2019. The company agreed to share its records with Schnatter. They also removed a rule that limited his talks with other shareholders. Schnatter agreed not to seek another term on the board after April 30, 2019. He kept the right to sue if the records showed wrongdoing by the company.
By March 2019, Schnatter still owned 31% of the company's shares. However, by May 23, he had sold many shares. His ownership dropped to 19%. By November 2019, it was under 17%.
In June 2019, Papa John's was the fourth-largest pizza chain globally. Its main office is in Jeffersontown, Kentucky.
Public Comments After Leaving
In November 2019, Schnatter spoke publicly for the first time since leaving Papa John's. He admitted using a controversial word during a company call. He said he used it to show his dislike of racism. Schnatter also criticized the pizza's taste. He said, "I've had over 40 pizzas in the last 30 days, and it's not the same pizza." This comment became very popular online.
Three months later, Schnatter clarified his statement. He said he had tasted over 40 pizzas, not eaten them all. He was checking the quality. Schnatter also criticized how the company was run after he left.
Other Business Ventures
In 1996, Schnatter started a real estate company in Louisville. It is called Evergreen Real Estate. This company owns several old, important buildings in his home area of Anchorage, Kentucky.
Schnatter also started a business called Calistoga Artisan Sandwiches in 2007. In 2008, he gave $1 million to the Louisville Zoo. This was for their Glacier Run expansion. In return, Calistoga got naming rights to a nearby water park. The Calistoga business mostly closed in 2012. However, three locations continued to operate in Naples, Florida.
In 2022, Schnatter announced a new project called Papa Farms. This farm plans to grow crops without GMOs, pesticides, or fertilizer. He spoke about this at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Personal Life
In 1983, Schnatter sold his 1971 Chevrolet Camaro. He used the money to help his father's struggling business. He used the extra money to start Papa John's. Years later, he offered a $250,000 reward for the car. On August 26, 2009, he bought it back for $250,000. He also paid the family who sold it a $25,000 fee. To celebrate, Papa John's offered a free pizza to Camaro owners.
Schnatter's original Camaro has been shown at the company's headquarters. The company owns several copies of the car. These are used for tours and TV appearances. On August 15, 2015, Schnatter's original Camaro was stolen in Detroit. It was found two days later with little damage.
Schnatter married Annette Cox in 1987. They lived in Anchorage, Kentucky, and had three children. Cox filed for divorce on December 5, 2019. They had been separated for eight months before that.
Political Views
In 2012, Papa John's and Schnatter got media attention. He made comments about the Affordable Care Act. He said it would cost Papa John's "11 to 14 cents per pizza."
Schnatter hosted a fundraiser for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in May 2012. He also gave money to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. He supported Trump's government in January 2017.
Schnatter spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2022. He talked about "cancel culture" and President Joe Biden's business policies.
Giving Back to the Community
In December 2015, Schnatter's charity foundation gave $8 million. This money went to the University of Kentucky's Gatton College of Business and Economics. It helped create a research and teaching center.
On September 4, 2019, Schnatter's foundation donated $1 million to Simmons College of Kentucky. This is a historically black college in Kentucky. The college president, Kevin Cosby, said Schnatter's actions were important. He said, "The Black community has heard far too many false words, but today this action—his generosity specifically for Black education and uplift—speaks louder."
In October 2019, the foundation also gave $500,000 to Jeffersonville High School. This was for renovating its baseball field. Schnatter had played baseball there as a student. The baseball field was renamed the John H. Schnatter Stadium.
Awards and Recognition
- Named 1998 National Ernst & Young Retail/Consumer Entrepreneur of The Year.
- Named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Americans in 2000 by the National Jaycees Organization.
- Inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 2007.
- In May 2009, Schnatter was named honorary chair of the Ride to Conquer Cancer. This event helped Louisville's Norton Cancer Institute.
- Inducted into the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame in 2010.
- In 2012, he became an honorary member of Alpha Tau Omega.
See also
In Spanish: John Schnatter para niños
