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1851 has been tracking the <a href="https://1851franchise.com/john-schnatter-launches-save-papa-john-s-website-2707605" target="_blank">increasingly bizarre developments</a> in John Schnatter&rsquo;s public feud with Papa John&rsquo;s ever since <a href="https://1851franchise.com/john-schnatter-says-resignation-was-a-mistake-2707189" target="_blank">the founder and former CEO resigned from the pizza chain in June</a>. But the story of Schnatter&rsquo;s ascendance as the founder and face of one of the most popular pizza chains in the world is just as interesting as his fall.&nbsp;

As part of <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2018/8/28/17786414/best-pizza-places-in-the-united-states-world?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=what-colonel-sanders-reveals-about-john-schnatters-downfall-2707674" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Ringer&rsquo;s first-ever &ldquo;Pizza Day&rdquo; lineup</a> of pizza-related articles, the sports-and-culture website published an <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2018/8/28/17789152/papa-johns-schnatter-fall-disgrace-pizza-weird?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=what-colonel-sanders-reveals-about-john-schnatters-downfall-2707674" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">in-depth look at the rise and fall of &ldquo;Papa&rdquo; John Schnatter.</a> The article offers a number of lesser-known details about Schnatter&rsquo;s career, including context that re-frames the story of a 22-year-old Schnatter selling his Camaro to fund his dream and the fact that a little over a year ago, Schnatter&rsquo;s personal wealth hit a high-water mark of $1 billion. But The Ringer&rsquo;s most intriguing insight is its thesis that the legacy of Colonel Sanders informs the entire saga.

When Schantter used the n-word in a now-infamous conference call in May, he was comparing himself favorably to the KFC founder and spokesperson, someone The Ringer says Schantter consciously modeled himself after.

It&rsquo;s telling that Schnatter chose Colonel Sanders as an example, and not other fast food tycoons, like Dave Thomas or Ray Kroc, or whoever the hell founded Pizza Hut or Domino&rsquo;s. Colonel Sanders wore his signature white suit, bolo tie, Van Dyke, and glasses every day for 20 years, and was buried in his signature getup. Crucially, he&rsquo;s the only founder who doubles as his company&rsquo;s mascot &mdash; almost 40 years after his death, Colonel Sanders, not a Chihuahua or a clown, is still the face of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

That dual role as both founder and mascot is likely what has kept the story of Schantter&rsquo;s ouster in headlines for more than two months now.

When a corporate officer resigns in disgrace, the company usually moves on, particularly if that officer is a traditional suit-wearing CEO. But not if the CEO wears a bowling shirt or a turtleneck, not if he&rsquo;s a self-appointed visionary who is both man and mascot. At some point, Schnatter became Papa John Schnatter, and&nbsp;being&nbsp;the company gave him things that merely&nbsp;owning&nbsp;the company did not. Extricating the man from the company has not proved easy.

Ready the <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2018/8/28/17789152/papa-johns-schnatter-fall-disgrace-pizza-weird?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=what-colonel-sanders-reveals-about-john-schnatters-downfall-2707674" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">full article at theringer.com</a>.

What Colonel Sanders Reveals About John Schnatter’s Downfall

1851 Franchise

The Ringer dives into the bizarre rise and fall of the disgraced Papa John’s founder.

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