"Papa" John H. Schnatter (22 November 1961-) was an American entrepreneur who founded, and served as CEO of, Papa John's International, Inc. Schnatter stepped down as CEO on 1 January 2018 two months after he criticized NFL leadership for criticizing national anthem protests by NFL players.
Biography[]
Schnatter making a pizza in 1983
John H. Schnatter was born in Jeffersonville, Indiana on 22 November 1961, and he earned a business degree from Ball State University in 1983. In 1984, he converted a broom closet in the back of his father's tavern into a pizzeria, selling his 1971 Camaro to purchase $1,600 worth of used pizza equipment and began selling pizzas to the tavern's customers. His pizzas were so popular that he was able to move into an adjoining space the next year, and Papa John's became the third largest take-out and pizza delivery restaurant chain in the world. Schnatter and his wife settled in Anchorage, Kentucky, and his company set up its headquarters in Jeffersontown, located on the outskirts of Louisville. By 2017, he had a net worth of $801,000,000 from his business.
Schnatter was an Evangelical Christian, and his social conservative views led to him supporting the Republican Party. In 2012, he criticized Obamacare while speaking to a class on entrepreneurship, and he hosted a fundraiser for Mitt Romney at his home in May 2012; Schnatter also made contributions to Donald Trump's campaign during the 2016 presidential election. In an October 2017 conference call with investors, Schnatter blamed the NFL for poor financial performance, saying that Papa John's status as a sponsor of the NFL was hurt by national anthem protests by NFL players. Later that day, Papa John's ceased to advertise the NFL or pride itself on being a sponsor; on 21 December 2017, Schnatter announced that he would step down as CEO on 1 January 2018.