Inside the Feud Between Papa John and Papa John’s | Eater

"I know Papa John’s was founded in 1984 inside a broom closet in Jeffersonville, Indiana, when “Papa” John Schnatter started making pizzas for patrons at his father’s bar; it grew into a publicly traded S&P 400 company with around 4,700 locations worldwide, was the third-largest pizza delivery company in the U.S. as of 2016, and is credited with inventing pizza dipping sauces. In recent years the chain has been beset by controversy and declining sales: Schnatter blamed protesting NFL players for poor earnings, stepped down as CEO and later as chairman after making snide statements and a leaked recording of him using the N-word, and has been accused in a Forbes investigation of presiding over a “bro” culture and engaging in sexual misconduct that resulted in multiple confidential settlements — allegations he disputes. The company has said it was “bleeding money,” its stock has fallen steadily since reaching a high of $86 per share at the end of 2016, and it lost the NFL sponsorship to Pizza Hut. Under CEO Steve Ritchie (who took over in January), the chain is trying to repair its image by prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion and requiring employee diversity training, while the board seeks to distance the brand from its namesake; Schnatter, who still owns roughly 29–30% of the company, has pushed back by launching SavePapaJohns.com, and the board has even adopted a “poison pill” to try to block him from increasing his stake." - Eater Staff