John Schnatter
| John Schnatter | |
|---|---|
| Born |
John H. Schnatter November 23, 1961 Jeffersonville, Indiana, U.S. |
| Residence | Anchorage, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Papa John |
| Alma mater | Ball State University |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, founder, CEO, and spokesman of Papa John's International, Inc. |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Net worth |
 US$1 billion
|
| Spouse(s) | Annette (m. 1987) |
| Children | 3 |
John H. Schnatter (born November 23, 1961) is an American entrepreneur, CEO and spokesman of Papa John's International, Inc, the company he founded in October 1984.
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.
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. Schnatter 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. His pizzas proved so popular that one year later he was able to move into an adjoining space. Today, the company is the third largest take-out and pizza delivery restaurant chain in the world with headquarters in Jeffersontown, Kentucky, near Louisville.
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 from the family that he sold the car to in 1983. In celebration, Papa John's offered a free pizza to anyone who owned a Camaro. 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. 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. The Camaro was recovered two days later on the city's west side with minimal damage.
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