A man walks past a Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Arvada, Colo.
Matthew Staver | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Texas Roadhouse founder and CEO Kent Taylor passed away on Thursday, the restaurant chain announced on its Facebook page. He was 65.
Taylor died of suicide after battling post-Covid-19-related symptoms, including severe tinnitus, the family said in a statement issued by the company. Tinnitus is usually described as ringing in the ears.
“After battling post-Covid-related symptoms, including severe tinnitus, Kent Taylor took his own life this week,” said the family. “Kent fought and fought like the former track champion he was, but the suffering intensified in recent days became unbearable.”
Taylor’s family said Taylor recently committed to funding a clinical trial to help members of the military suffering from tinnitus.
“We will miss you, Kent. Because of you and your Texas Roadhouse dream, we can say that we love our work every day,” the company wrote in a Facebook post on Friday.
The Louisville-based restaurant company announced Friday that President Jerry Morgan will be named CEO following Taylor’s death.
“While you would never expect the loss of a visionary like Kent, our succession plan that Kent led 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, whether it was quietly helping a friend or building one of America’s great businesses at @texasroadhouse,” Fisher wrote. “He was a self-willed entrepreneur who embodied the values of never giving up and putting others first.”
If you or someone you know has thoughts of suicide or harming yourself, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on this link or by calling 1-800-273-TALK. The hotline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.