John Schnatter
Encyclopedia
John H. Schnatter better known as "Papa John", is the founder
, chairman, and current CEO of Papa John's International, Inc. He founded the company in October 1984. He is also spokesman
for Papa John's.
. In the same year, he sold his 1971 Camaro Z28 to purchase the other half of the tavern in what became his family's first "pizza place." Today, the Papa John’s franchise has more than 3,400 restaurants in 50 states and 30 countries. In 1996, Schnatter helped fund a new 42,000-seat football stadium on the University of Louisville campus in exchange for naming rights. The structure, which opened in September 1998, is called Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.
Awards and honors received by Schnatter:
area. His business has the naming rights to Louisville's Papa John's Cardinal Stadium
used by the University of Louisville's football team. On August 28, 2007, he made a $10 million pledge toward a stadium expansion.
Schnatter made a million-dollar contribution to the Louisville Zoo
's Glacier Run expansion. In addition to his major contributions his Calistoga Bakery sponsors a bike team and donated money to build bike trails.
On May 28, 2009 Schnatter was announced as Honorary Chair of the Ride to Conquer Cancer benefiting Louisville's Norton Cancer Institute. Schnatter will be riding in the two day cycling event that goes from Louisville to Lexington and back.
John Schnatter is a resident and owns about 6% of the land in Anchorage, Kentucky
, including much of the city center. He restored an interurban rail station, three historic buildings and built a fourth in a similar style in the city's center, with plans to build a bank, an upscale restaurant, and a hiking trail, which opened as the Anchorage Trail in June 2008.
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, chairman, and current CEO of Papa John's International, Inc. He founded the company in October 1984. He is also spokesman
Spokesman
A spokesperson or spokesman or spokeswoman is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others.In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have received formal training in journalism, communications, public relations and...
for Papa John's.
Biography
In 1983, at the age of 22, Schnatter started delivering pizza out of the tavern his father co-owned in Jeffersonville, IndianaJeffersonville, Indiana
Jeffersonville is a city in Clark County, Indiana, along the Ohio River. Locally, the city is often referred to by the abbreviated name Jeff. It is directly across the Ohio River to the north of Louisville, Kentucky along I-65. The population was 44,953 at the 2010 census...
. In the same year, he sold his 1971 Camaro Z28 to purchase the other half of the tavern in what became his family's first "pizza place." Today, the Papa John’s franchise has more than 3,400 restaurants in 50 states and 30 countries. In 1996, Schnatter helped fund a new 42,000-seat football stadium on the University of Louisville campus in exchange for naming rights. The structure, which opened in September 1998, is called Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.
Awards and honors received by Schnatter:
- Inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 2007.
- Named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Americans in 2000 by the National Jaycees Organization.
- Named 1998 National Ernst & Young Retail/Consumer Entrepreneur of The Year.
Financial donations
Schnatter has made several donations to help boost the LouisvilleLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
area. His business has the naming rights to Louisville's Papa John's Cardinal Stadium
Papa John's Cardinal Stadium
Papa John's Cardinal Stadium is a football stadium located in Louisville, Kentucky, USA and serves as the home of the University of Louisville football program. It opened in 1998, making it the second-to-last football stadium in NCAA Division I-A to open in the 20th century, with SMU's Gerald J....
used by the University of Louisville's football team. On August 28, 2007, he made a $10 million pledge toward a stadium expansion.
Schnatter made a million-dollar contribution to the Louisville Zoo
Louisville Zoo
Founded in 1969, the Louisville Zoo, or the Louisville Zoological Garden, is a zoo in Louisville, Kentucky, situated in the city's Poplar Level neighborhood...
's Glacier Run expansion. In addition to his major contributions his Calistoga Bakery sponsors a bike team and donated money to build bike trails.
On May 28, 2009 Schnatter was announced as Honorary Chair of the Ride to Conquer Cancer benefiting Louisville's Norton Cancer Institute. Schnatter will be riding in the two day cycling event that goes from Louisville to Lexington and back.
John Schnatter is a resident and owns about 6% of the land in Anchorage, Kentucky
Anchorage, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,264 people, 729 households, and 643 families residing in the city. The population density was 744.0 people per square mile . There were 750 housing units at an average density of 246.5 per square mile...
, including much of the city center. He restored an interurban rail station, three historic buildings and built a fourth in a similar style in the city's center, with plans to build a bank, an upscale restaurant, and a hiking trail, which opened as the Anchorage Trail in June 2008.