Texas Roadhouse founder and CEO Kent Taylor committed suicide after battling long-term “unbearable” symptoms of COVID-19, the company said.
Taylor, 65, died on Thursday, the restaurant chain said in a statement.
The statement said Taylor had experienced post-coronavirus symptoms that had worsened, including severe or audible tinnitus in the ear.
“Our community and the catering industry lost a legend and the Taylor family lost a wonderful son, father and grandfather,” said a joint statement from the company and family obtained by CNN.
“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,” according to the statement, according to McClatchy News.
Taylor had lost his salary from March 2020 until the rest of the year to allow the funds to be used to help front-line restaurant employees during the pandemic.
“We will miss you, Kent. Thanks to you and your Texas Roadhouse dream, we can say we love our jobs every day, ”the company wrote in a Facebook tribute.