Better pizza. Better controversies. Papa John’s.

Kicking him while he’s down… is what former CEO John Schnatter is accusing the pizza chain of doing. And who knows better than Papa John himself? Possibly no one, but Schnatter still finds himself on the outside looking in and believes he is being used as a scapegoat for the company’s problems. And if you’re one of the few that don’t know why Schnatter is out, it is because he blurted out the n-word last month during a conference call.

 

It’s your fault, Steve… for the current rough patch the company has hit, according to Schnatter. Schnatter believes the new CEO, Steve Ritchie, is doing a poor job and uses tactics that are vindictive and controlling. But in the same breathe Schnatter said he believes “Steve’ll make a great executive somewhere else.” You know – the type of place where being vindictive and controlling are positive attributes?

 

Papa John’s is done with Papa John… but he will not go away. You can remove him from the pizza boxes and commercials, but you can’t remove the man himself (unless Steve Ritchie is feeling particularly vindictive after this, then maybe). And like a distraught ex-lover, Schnatter will not go away or take “no” for an answer…