Kent Taylor, founder and CEO of Texas Roadhouse, committed suicide after struggling with “excruciating” long-lasting symptoms of COVID-19, the company said.
Taylor, 65, took his life on Thursday, the restaurant chain said in a statement.
The statement said Taylor had had post-coronavirus symptoms that had gotten worse, including severe tinnitus or ringing in the ears.
“Our community and the restaurant industry lost a legend and the Taylor family lost a wonderful son, father and grandfather,” said a joint statement from the company and the family obtained by CNN.
“Kent fought and fought hard like the former track champion he was, but the suffering intensified in recent days became unbearable,” said McClatchy News.
Taylor had forfeited his salary from March 2020 to the rest of the year so the money could be spent helping front-line restaurant workers during the pandemic.
“We will miss you, Kent. Thanks to you and your dream of Texas Roadhouse, we can say that we love our work every day, ”the company wrote in a tribute on Facebook.