Welcome to a collection of insightful and thought-provoking quotes by John Schnatter, the American entrepreneur and founder of Papa John’s Pizza. With a keen business acumen and a passion for quality, Schnatter has left an indelible mark on the world of fast-food and entrepreneurship. His quotes reflect not only his experiences in building a successful pizza empire but also his philosophy on leadership, innovation, and the pursuit of excellence.
John Schnatter’s journey from selling pizzas out of a broom closet to creating one of the most recognizable pizza brands globally is a testament to his unwavering dedication and vision. Throughout his career, he has shared nuggets of wisdom that resonate with aspiring entrepreneurs, business leaders, and pizza enthusiasts alike. Whether it’s about the importance of customer satisfaction, the value of hard work, or the significance of staying true to one’s principles, Schnatter’s quotes offer invaluable insights into the mindset of a successful business titan.
Getting big is just a byproduct of getting better. John Schnatter
The board gets upset because I won’t take a raise, but I’ve got plenty of money. John Schnatter
I am the American Dream. John Schnatter
When you start off broke – and we weren’t broke, we were negative broke – you never forget that. You stay appreciative. John Schnatter
In 1991, I didn’t have $2,000 to go on vacation. John Schnatter
Everybody wants to own quality, but quality takes time, and it takes money. John Schnatter
With a head coach, you make a mistake and learn. With a king, you make a mistake and get your head bitten off. John Schnatter
I found something I loved to do when I was 15 – making pizzas. John Schnatter
In school, I always had to work harder than others. John Schnatter
When you have built a $3 billion company out of a broom closet, I think you are entitled to a nice house. John Schnatter
I love my business. I love my employees. John Schnatter
My wife’s a redneck, and she loves a muscle car. John Schnatter
If you don’t take care of the people doing the heavy lifting, they will burn your castle down. John Schnatter
The original goal for Papa John’s was to make $50 grand a year and have $50 grand in the bank so I could get a date. John Schnatter
We don’t promote or advocate people eating a whole pizza. John Schnatter
You’ve got to have free markets with limited government, with the proper amount of regulation where you don’t jam entrepreneurship. John Schnatter
Daddy was fun-loving and lighthearted – he lived life to the fullest and was not scared to take a risk. John Schnatter
I didn’t like the bar business. John Schnatter
I think if there was a sharing in the ups, a sharing in the downs, the country would not be as divided. John Schnatter
If you are a success, you can take care of people; you can give a lot to your community. John Schnatter
It was Labor Day weekend in 1983, and Dad hired me to run Mick’s Lounge, a bar he co-owned, for $200 a week. The business was nearly bankrupt. But I said, ‘Dad, I can fix it.’ It was the most natural thing I’d ever done. It just made sense to me. John Schnatter
Better ingredients, better pizza – it’s not a slogan. It’s a way of life. John Schnatter
Regardless of what the minimum wage is, you really have the market wage. And if we’re not taking care of our people, then we’re going to lose good talent, at every level. John Schnatter
At 22, I had something I loved to do – make pizza – and something I was good at: running a business. John Schnatter
America in 2016 is on the path to becoming what Germany was in 1867. John Schnatter
If the people buying the pizza are happy, they’ll probably buy the pizza again. John Schnatter
I realized the world spins without me having to spin it. John Schnatter
NFL leadership has hurt Papa John’s shareholders. John Schnatter
I will not allow either my good name or the good name of the company I founded and love to be unfairly tainted. John Schnatter
I just don’t like making mistakes. John Schnatter
I have a goal of being the No.1 pizza company in the world. John Schnatter
I was born and raised in the state of Indiana, and it’s where I started Papa John’s, so this state and our partnership with the Pacers hold a special place in my heart. John Schnatter
I had this dream of starting a pizza business since college. I came up with the name, menu, and recipes back then. John Schnatter
Pizza’s really nutritious; it’s good for you. You can’t sit down and eat a whole carton of eggs, and you can’t sit down and eat a whole pizza. John Schnatter
Find something you love to do. Work it to the bone. And you’ll be successful. John Schnatter
Many in the media reported that I said Papa John’s is going to close stores and cut jobs because of Obamacare. I never said that. John Schnatter
As long as our quality and company continue to get better, by nature, we will get bigger. John Schnatter
I just like building stuff. John Schnatter
I don’t think you can control people. I don’t think you manage people. I think you give people a direction, you give them the resources, you lead by example. They get it right, you say, ‘Atta girl.’ And they get it wrong, you say, ‘Not good.’ John Schnatter
Companies like Papa John’s are largely a collection of small independent businesses. John Schnatter
I buried my dad on a Thursday and showed up for work on Friday. John Schnatter
You have to make mistakes to get better. I used to make a mistake, and I kind of get down on myself. And now I make a mistake, and I go, ‘Okay, did you learn from this? Did you stick to the facts, and did you stick with the logic? Did you have the analytics?’ John Schnatter
I bombed the LSAT and quickly discovered that law school wasn’t for me. John Schnatter
I don’t condone racism. I don’t condone prejudice. John Schnatter
Pizza’s actually healthy for you if you don’t eat too much of it. If you eat one or two slices, it’s very nutritious. John Schnatter
I pay myself three, three and half million – which is plenty of money, c’mon. John Schnatter
Sales went crazy when we made the pizza perfect. John Schnatter
