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Papa John’s Founder John Schnatter Evicted From Company HQ

The fallout continues for Papa Johns’ founder John Schnatter, who was physically evicted from his […]

The fallout continues for Papa Johns’ founder John Schnatter, who was physically evicted from his office in the restaurant chain’s headquarters on Monday.

Schnatter had a cozy office in the company’s headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky, according to a report by CNN Money. He resigned his chairmanship last week following a number of racist comments, but the board apparently wanted a more complete separation from him. He was sent packing around mid-day on Monday.

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The company has been quick in washing its hands of Schnatter. Already, Papa Johns’ marketing is free from pictures or mentions of Schnatter. Likewise, he is no longer the spokesman or public face for the chain, as he has been for so many years.

An announcement on the company website on Tuesday stated that Schnatter will “cease all media appearances, and not make any further statements to the media regarding the company, its business or employees.”

Determined not to be brought down by Schnatter’s remarks, the company has also sought out an external audit and investigation of its own culture, seeking out any policies or practices that are detrimental to inclusivity, diversity and individual safety.

However, Schnatter is still not out of the game yet. Though he may be working from home now, he still sits on the Papa John’s board. He also owned 30 percent of the company’s shares, making him a hefty voice in company decision-making. Schnatter started Papa John’s as a young man, with just a single pizza oven in the back of his father’s bar. Since then, it has become a global powerhouse in fast food pizza.

That bootstrapping mentality and attachment to his roots is arguably part of what got Schnatter into trouble, however. Last week, a report by Forbes revealed that he had used the n-word in a conference call with a marketing agency. The agency was hired in the first place to help Schnatter relate better to the public after his controversial remarks about the NFL’s kneeling protests.

“Colonel Sanders called blacks nโ€”s,” he reportedly said. At the time, Schnatter was not wrong to compare himself to the iconic colonel. He was in all the company’s commercials, reciting the slogan: “better ingredients, better pizza, Papa John’s.”

Now, however, the company is rushing to separate itself from that familiar smiling face. It’s unclear how well the chain will hold up. For those following the story, Papa John’s may always be marred by Schnatter’s racism, but when the dust settles, casual consumers will simply be left to either stick with the restaurant without the founder’s image, or not.