A man passes a Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Arvada, Colo.
Matthew Staver | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Texas Roadhouse founder and CEO Kent Taylor died Thursday, the restaurant chain announced on its Facebook page. He was 65 years old.
Taylor died by suicide after a battle with post-Covid-19-related symptoms, including severe tinnitus, the family said in a statement issued by the company. Tinnitus is usually described as a ringing in the ear.
“After a battle with post-Covid-related symptoms, including severe tinnitus, Kent Taylor ended his life this week,” the family said. “Kent fought and fought hard like the former track champion he was, but the suffering that intensified a lot in the last few days became unbearable.”
Taylor’s family said Taylor recently committed to funding a clinical study to help the military suffering from tinnitus.
“We will be missing you, Kent. Because of you and your Texas Roadhouse dream, we can say we love our jobs every day,” the company wrote in a Facebook post Friday.
The Louisville-based restaurant company announced Friday that President Jerry Morgan will be named CEO after Taylor’s death.
“While you never expect the loss of a visionary like Kent, our succession plan, led by Kent, gives us great confidence,” said Greg Moore, CEO of Texas Roadhouse.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer tweeted Thursday that the city “had lost a much-loved and unique citizen.”
“Kent’s kind and generous spirit was his constant driving force, either to calmly help a friend or to build one of the great American companies at @texasroadhouse,” Fisher wrote. “He was a nonconformist businessman who embodied the values of never giving up and putting others first.”
If you or someone you know has thoughts of suicide or self-harm, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in this link or by calling 1-800-273-TALK. The telephone line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.