Papa John’s CEO John Schnatter–you’ve seen him, his ads are everywhere–attended the funeral of one of his employees on Saturday. Gordon Schaffer was a 22-year-old working the late shift when he was shot and killed during a robbery at a Papa John’s store in Columbia, Tennessee. Schaffer’s brother praised the “beautiful tribute that Papa John’s had for my brother.”
Papa John’s and Schnatter paid for the funeral and burial costs, but the fact that Mr. Schnatter came and spoke to the family had an enormous emotional impact on the survivors. 25 cars with Papa John’s delivery topper signs traveled in the procession. “He [CEO Schnatter] didn’t just come to pay lip service,” the victim’s brother wrote on Facebook. Schnatter has taken some heat in the past about his resistance to employee healthcare coverage and wage increases.
