“This week, our community and the restaurant business lost an icon, and the Taylor family lost a great son, father, and grandfather,” Texas Roadhouse and Taylor’s family said in a joint statement given to CNN on Saturday. Taylor committed suicide following a fight with Covid-19-related symptoms, including severe tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, according to the statement, and his suffering had worsened in recent days. According to the statement, Taylor had supported a clinical trial to help military personnel suffering from tinnitus. “Kent leaves an unrivaled legacy as a people-first leader,” according to the statement. “That’s why he used to say that Texas Roadhouse was a people company that simply happened to serve steaks.” Continue reading “Over the last 28 years, he has impacted the lives of hundreds of millions of employees and visitors.” The headquarters of Texas Roadhouse are in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said the city had “lost a deeply loved and one-of-a-kind person” in a tweet on Thursday. “Whether quietly assisting a buddy or developing one of America’s great firms in @texasroadhouse,” Fisher wrote, “Kent’s kind and kind nature was his constant driving force.” “He was a trailblazing businessman who exemplified the virtues of never giving up and putting people first. My heartfelt condolences go out to Kent’s family and numerous friends.” Taylor donated his pay from March 2020 to January 2021 to help frontline restaurant staff during the pandemic, according to CNN affiliate WAVE. According to a workplace Facebook post on Friday: “Kent, you will be missed. We get to say we (enjoy) our employment every day because of you and your Texas Roadhouse dream.” Instead of using the word love, the message utilized a heart emoji. According to the family statement, Taylor came up with the concept for Texas Roadhouse on a cocktail napkin. According to the company’s website, Texas Roadhouse first launched in 1993 and now has over 600 locations in the United States and ten restaurants in other countries. The year Texas Roadhouse first opened was incorrect in an earlier version of this story. It was the year 1993. Continue reading