John Schnatter is at it again.
Papa John’s International Inc.’s notorious founder and former leader lambasted the pizza chain publicly for the second time in as many months, naming a handful of executives that he says should be jailed while calling out the new chief as having “no pizza experience.”
Schnatter — who made the comments in a local media interview in Louisville, Ky., where the restaurant chain is based — also took a dig at the food quality. He said he’s eaten more than 40 pizzas in 30 days, and “it’s not the same pizza.”
A spokeswoman for Papa John’s didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.
The pizza chain, which got an investment earlier this year from activist investor Starboard Value, has been working to mount a comeback following a sales slump and a scandal involving Schnatter’s use of a racist slur that the founder says was taken out of context. Earlier this month, the chain reported better-than-expected quarterly sales and announced a slew of management changes. It had already named in August a new chief executive officer, former Arby’s executive Rob Lynch.
