Founder Of Texas Roadhouse Kent Taylor Dies At 65
on Mar 22, 2021
Kent Taylor, the founder of Texas Roadhouse, has died at the age of 65.
The tragic news was initially announced on the official Texas Roadhouse Facebook page in a post that honored Taylor’s “dream” and creation of the company. In the statement, they wrote:
“We will miss you, Kent. Because of you and your dream of Texas Roadhouse, we get to say we [heart emoji] our jobs every day.”
According to CNN, Taylor committed suicide after suffering complications from COVID-19. The restaurant founder previously donated his salary from March 2020 to January 2021 to assist frontline restaurant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, as reported by WAVE 3 News.
The CNN report also offered a joint statement from the family and business. According to the release, Taylor was suffering from severe tinnitus, which causes ringing in the ear. The pain caused by the condition had also recently intensified.
“Our community and the restaurant industry lost a legend and the Taylor family lost a wonderful son, father and grandad this week,” the statement explained.
Louisville lost a much loved and one-of-a-kind citizen with Kent Taylor’s passing today. Kent’s kind and generous spirit was his constant driving force whether it was quietly helping a friend or building one of America’s great companies in @texasroadhouse. 1/2
— Mayor Greg Fischer (@louisvillemayor) March 19, 2021
Taylor first founded Texas Roadhouse in 1993, which had expanded to 572 locations as of October 2020.
For more on Taylor’s tragic death and his outstanding legacy, check out the video below.
