Which pizza chain was founded by John Schnatter?

John Schnatter founded the Papa John's pizza chain.

Schnatter launched the business in 1984 in Jeffersonville, Indiana, using a broom closet in the back of his father’s tavern, Mick’s Lounge. He sold his 1971 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 to raise money for used pizza equipment, reportedly spending $1,600 to get started. He began selling pizzas to tavern customers.

The pizzas became popular enough that the operation moved into an adjoining space the following year. Papa John's expanded rapidly, went public in 1993, and reached 500 stores a year later. The company’s name comes from Schnatter’s nickname, “Papa John.”

A common mix-up is confusing the founder with later executives or franchise operators. Schnatter was the founder and longtime public face, but he later left the company’s leadership, stepping down as CEO in 2018 and as chairman later that year.