This photo provided by restaurant chain Texas Roadhouse shows Kent Taylor, founder and CEO of the company. According to the family and company, Taylor passed away on Sunday, March 21, 2021. | Ron Bath, Texas Roadhouse
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (AP) – Kent Taylor, founder and CEO of the Texas Roadhouse restaurant chain, has passed away. He was 65. His family and company say he took his own life after suffering from symptoms associated with COVID-19, including severe tinnitus.
Taylor’s family and the company confirmed his death in a statement on Sunday.
Tinnitus is a common condition that involves ringing or other sounds in one or both ears. Experts believe that the coronavirus can exacerbate problems with tinnitus.
“Kent fought and fought hard like the former track champion he was, but the suffering that has increased sharply in recent days has become unbearable,” the statement read.
Taylor recently pledged to fund a clinical trial to help military members suffering from tinnitus, the statement said.
“Kent leaves behind an unparalleled legacy as a nation-first leader, which is why he regularly said that Texas Roadhouse was a people’s business that happened to serve steaks,” the statement said.
Taylor opened the first Texas Roadhouse restaurant in 1993 in Clarksville, Indiana, and came up with the idea on a cocktail napkin. The company currently has 610 restaurants in 49 states and 10 other countries. Texas Roadhouse is in Taylor’s hometown, Louisville, Kentucky.
“Kent’s friendly and generous spirit has been his constant driving force, whether it’s a friend helping a friend or building one of America’s big companies in @texasroadhouse,” said Greg Fischer, Mayor of Louisville, said on Twitter. “He was a great entrepreneur who embodied the values of never giving up and putting others first.”
Taylor, who died Thursday, is survived by his parents, Powell and Marilyn Taylor; three children and five grandchildren. Texas Roadhouse spokeswoman Travis Doster said a small private service is being planned this week.