Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Minneapolis Children Revealed Courage, Absorbed Fear During Church Shooting

6 hours ago

White House Says Trump Not Happy With Russia Strike on Ukraine, to Make Statement Later

8 hours ago

Ford Recalls Nearly 500,000 Vehicles Over Brake Fluid Leak

9 hours ago

Fresno-Bound Passenger Says Delta Attendant Slapped Him, Seeks $20M

10 hours ago

Israel Steps up Bombardment of Gaza City, Kills 16 People Around Enclave, Medics Say

10 hours ago

Enjoy a Meal at Fresno’s Lazy Dog and Support Valley Crime Stoppers

11 hours ago

How California Lawmakers Can Trim Up to 20% Off Consumer Electric Bills

11 hours ago

Trump Says He May Recommend a Republican National Convention Before 2026 Midterm Elections

11 hours ago

California Republican Leader Calls for ‘Two State Solution’ Amid Redistricting Fight

1 day ago
Papa John's Founder Will Disappear From Ads
BILL NEW PROFILE IMAGE
By Bill McEwen, News Director
Published 7 years ago on
July 13, 2018

Share

NEW YORK — Papa John’s, which has featured founder John Schnatter in logos and TV ads, is pulling his image from its marketing after reports he used a racial slur.
His face was off at least some materials by late morning Friday, though the company said the details and exact timing for everything were still being worked out. The pizza chain said Friday there are no plans to change its name.

Schnatter Resigned CEO Post in 2017

Schnatter has long been the face of the brand, and Papa John’s has acknowledged in regulatory filings that its business could be hurt if Schnatter’s reputation was damaged. Papa John’s got a taste of that last year, when Schnatter stepped down as CEO after blaming disappointing pizza sales on the outcry surrounding football players kneeling during the national anthem.
This week, Papa John’s was already trying to further publicly distance itself from Schnatter after Forbes reported he used the N-word during a conference call in May. Schnatter apologized and said he would resign as chairman. That prompted the company’s stock to recover some of the losses it suffered after the report, and shares climbed another 3 percent Friday.
Schnatter remains on the board, and is still the company’s largest shareholder with nearly 30 percent of the stock.
In addition to appearing in TV ads, Schnatter’s image has been on packaging and at the center of a logo that usually was all over the company’s website.
Keith Hollingsworth, a professor with Morehouse College’s business department, said keeping Schnatter in the marketing and advertising would signal to people that the company does not have a problem with his comments, or that it doesn’t think they are a big deal.
Could He Return in Future Ads?
“Five years from now, they might be able to start bringing him back. But at the moment, you have to be very decisive and show you take this very seriously,” Hollingsworth said.
Schnatter had used the slur during a media training exercise, Forbes said. When asked how he would distance himself from racist groups, Schnatter reportedly complained that Colonel Sanders never faced a backlash for using the word. Schnatter subsequently issued a statement acknowledging the use of “inappropriate and hurtful” language.
“Regardless of the context, I apologize,” the statement said.

Papa John’s Sales Drop 5.3% in early 2018

The fallout has already included Major League Baseball indefinitely suspending a promotion with Louisville, Kentucky-based Papa John’s that offered people discounts at the pizza chain after a player hit a grand slam. The University of Louisville also said Schnatter resigned from its board of trustees, and that the school will evaluate the naming arrangement for Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Papa John’s International Inc. began operations in 1984 and had more than 5,200 locations globally. The company cannot afford to alienate customers, with sales already under pressure from rivals such as Domino’s. For the first three months of this year, Papa John’s said a key sales figure fell 5.3 percent in North America.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Trump Signs Order to End Collective Bargaining With Some Federal Unions

DON'T MISS

Feds Add Third Charge for Bobby Salazar. Restaurant Owner Denies Them All in Court.

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Garnet Fire Triggers New Evacuation Warnings as Blaze Grows

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Detain Suspect After Report of Possible Gun at Elementary School

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Arrest Man Accused in $30,000 Courier Scam

DON'T MISS

Who Did Fresno Unified Hire to Succeed Nikki Henry as Communications Chief?

DON'T MISS

Minneapolis Children Revealed Courage, Absorbed Fear During Church Shooting

DON'T MISS

Trump Signs Memo to Prevent Federal Grants From Being Diverted to Lobbying, White House Says

DON'T MISS

Fresno Unified Employee With Cancer Alleges District Brass Conspired in Failed Try to Force Resignation

DON'T MISS

Oil Settles Higher as Traders Await Trump Statement on Russia-Ukraine

UP NEXT

Minneapolis Children Revealed Courage, Absorbed Fear During Church Shooting

UP NEXT

Trump Signs Memo to Prevent Federal Grants From Being Diverted to Lobbying, White House Says

UP NEXT

Fresno vs. Clovis: Which City Is Cheaper to Live in Right Now?

UP NEXT

White House Fires Member of Railroad-Regulating Surface Transportation Board

UP NEXT

In Chicago, Locals Prepare for Trump’s Possible Deployment of National Guard

UP NEXT

Kim Harvey Named Executive Producer of ‘CBS Evening News’

UP NEXT

Trump Says He May Recommend a Republican National Convention Before 2026 Midterm Elections

UP NEXT

US CDC Director Ousted Weeks Into Job

UP NEXT

Trump’s Tax Bill Expands 0% Capital Gains Eligibility in 2025

UP NEXT

Second-Highest Unemployment Rate Still In California

Bill McEwen,
News Director
Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email

Fresno Police Detain Suspect After Report of Possible Gun at Elementary School

5 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest Man Accused in $30,000 Courier Scam

6 hours ago

Who Did Fresno Unified Hire to Succeed Nikki Henry as Communications Chief?

6 hours ago

Minneapolis Children Revealed Courage, Absorbed Fear During Church Shooting

6 hours ago

Trump Signs Memo to Prevent Federal Grants From Being Diverted to Lobbying, White House Says

6 hours ago

Fresno Unified Employee With Cancer Alleges District Brass Conspired in Failed Try to Force Resignation

7 hours ago

Oil Settles Higher as Traders Await Trump Statement on Russia-Ukraine

7 hours ago

White House Says Trump Not Happy With Russia Strike on Ukraine, to Make Statement Later

8 hours ago

49ers Sign Former Clovis West Star as Their Third QB

8 hours ago

Ford Recalls Nearly 500,000 Vehicles Over Brake Fluid Leak

9 hours ago

Trump Signs Order to End Collective Bargaining With Some Federal Unions

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order to end collective bargaining with federal unions in some agencies that have ...

4 hours ago

President Donald Trump reacts during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 26, 2025. (Reuters File)
4 hours ago

Trump Signs Order to End Collective Bargaining With Some Federal Unions

Bobby Salazar's restaurant Blackstone fresno court
4 hours ago

Feds Add Third Charge for Bobby Salazar. Restaurant Owner Denies Them All in Court.

The Garnet Fire has burned nearly 14,000 acres in the Sierra National Forest with no containment, prompting new evacuation warnings and a state of emergency in Fresno County. (Fresno County SO)
5 hours ago

Fresno County Garnet Fire Triggers New Evacuation Warnings as Blaze Grows

5 hours ago

Fresno Police Detain Suspect After Report of Possible Gun at Elementary School

6 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest Man Accused in $30,000 Courier Scam

Fresno Unified Chief Information Officer Adela Garcia Duncan
6 hours ago

Who Did Fresno Unified Hire to Succeed Nikki Henry as Communications Chief?

Mourners visit a memorial near the Annunciation Church, which is a home to an elementary school and was the scene of a shooting the day before, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. August 28, 2025. (Reuters File)
6 hours ago

Minneapolis Children Revealed Courage, Absorbed Fear During Church Shooting

President Donald Trump attends a press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S., August 15, 2025. (Reuters File)
6 hours ago

Trump Signs Memo to Prevent Federal Grants From Being Diverted to Lobbying, White House Says

Search

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Send this to a friend