Kent Taylor, founder and CEO of Texas Roadhouse, committed suicide last week after his ‘‘long-haul’’ symptoms of covid-19 became unbearable. He was 65.
Taylor had been suffering from an ongoing case of severe tinnitus – a loud ringing or buzzing in the ear that can be debilitating. His body was found Thursday in a field he owned near his hometown of Louisville.
Taylor came up with the concept for Texas Roadhouse, a Southwest-themed steakhouse perhaps best-known for its free rolls with honey butter, in the early 1990s.
After being rejected by nearly 50 investors, he finally convinced three Kentucky doctors to invest and launched the first Texas Roadhouse in 1993.
Today, Texas Roadhouse has more than 600 locations in 49 states, including 10 in the Valley.
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