John Schnatter

John Schnatter
Born November 23, 1961
Jeffersonville, Indiana, U.S.
Residence Anchorage, Kentucky, U.S.[1]
Nationality American
Alma mater Ball State University[2]
Occupation Founder, owner, CEO, and spokesman of Papa John's Pizza
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, current CEO,[3] and spokesman for Papa John's International, Inc. He founded the company in October 1984.[4]

Early life and education

Schnatter was born in Jeffersonville, Indiana on November 23, 1961, and graduated from Jeffersonville High School in 1979, 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.[5] 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.[6][7][8] 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.[9]

Today, the company is the third largest take-out and pizza delivery restaurant chain in the world[10][11] with headquarters in Jeffersontown, Kentucky, near Louisville.[12][13][14]

The Camaro

In 1983, Schnatter sold his 1971 Chevrolet Camaro to help his father's struggling business. He used the left over 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.[15] In celebration, Papa John's offered a free pizza to anyone who owned a Camaro.[16] The actual Camaro is 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.[17]

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.[18] Schnatter identifies as an Evangelical Christian and is a member of the Southeast Christian Church.[19]

Schnatter made a million-dollar contribution to the Louisville Zoo's Glacier Run expansion.[20] 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.[21]

Schnatter had hosted a fundraiser at his home for Republican Party candidate Mitt Romney in May 2012.[22] 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.[23]

Awards and honors

References

  1. ↑ "WLKY-TV airs one-on-one interview with John Schnatter".
  2. ↑ "How Do You Make $260 Million from Pizza? Keep Your Eyes on the Pies". People.com.
  3. ↑ John Schnatter: Executive Profile & Biography – Businessweek
  4. ↑ "The story of Papa John's". Papajohns.com. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
  5. ↑ "About Us". Papa John's. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  6. ↑ "The Papa John's Story". Papa John's (GB) Ltd. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Profile: John Schnatter". Forbes. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  8. ↑ "About Papa Johns". Papa John's International. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Found: Papa John's Long-Lost Camaro! Kentucky Man Receives $250,000 Finder's Fee". Papa John's. August 25, 2009. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Papa John's offering free pizza to customers who place online order during Super Bowl weekend". WDRB. January 28, 2015. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  11. ↑ Green, Kim (January 15, 2015). "Sunday With Papa John's Founder John Schnatter". Parade. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Jeffersontown to dedicate new bike and walking path Saturday". The Courier-Journal. November 7, 2007. p. C7. Retrieved December 6, 2012. Papa John's office is in Jeffersontown
  13. ↑ "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".
  14. ↑ 2010 "Census – Census Block Map (Index): Jeffersontown city, KY 1". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on December 7, 2012.
  15. ↑ Carol Whyte (August 25, 2009). "Papa John's boss finds Camaro, gives free pizza". Associated Press. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  16. ↑ Associated, The (September 2, 2009). "Papa John's founder pays 250Kg for Camaro". Courierlifenews.com. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
  17. ↑ Carol Whyte (August 22, 2009). "Founder of Papa John's Reunited with Camaro Sold in 1983". Yahoo Voices. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
  18. ↑ Wolfson, Andrew (January 14, 2013). "'Papa John' makes no apology for wealth, Obamacare remarks". USA Today.USAToday.com. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  19. ↑ "About John Schnatter".
  20. ↑ "Back to dough after losing bread: Papa John Schnatter shutters Calistoga Artisan Sandwich project after three and a half years". Insider Louisville. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
  21. ↑ Resnikoff, Ned (November 20, 2012). "Denny's, Papa John's walk back criticism of Obamacare". NBCNews.com. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
  22. ↑ Gerth, Joseph (April 17, 2012). "Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney to visit Louisville Thursday for fundraiser". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
  23. ↑ Kroll, Andy; Schulman, Daniel (February 5, 2014). "The Koch Brothers Left a Confidential Document at Their Last Donor Conference—Read It Here". Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  24. ↑ "Conquer Cancer website". Conquercancer.ca. May 28, 2009. Retrieved July 30, 2010.

External links