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Texas Roadhouse CEO To Donate ‘Salary And Bonus’ To ‘Front-Line Employees’ During COVID-19 Crisis

   DailyWire.com
Texas Roadhouse Inc. signage is displayed outside of a restaurant in Arvada, Colorado, U.S., on Friday, March 11, 2011.
Photo by Matthew Staver/Bloomberg via Getty Images

On Wednesday, MarketWatch reported that W. Kent Taylor, the CEO of steak restaurant chain Texas Roadhouse, had decided to “forgo his base salary and bonus from the pay period starting March 18 through Jan. 7, 2021,” and redirect that money “to pay front-line workers.”

The move comes as businesses across the country are struggling to stay afloat while the COVID-19 pandemic burns through the nation. The virus has led many states and localities to close all non-essential businesses, and ask that residents stay at home in a bid to slow down the spread and “flatten the curve.”

While many restaurants have been allowed to continue takeout and delivery services, table service has been shut down in many states, severely limiting revenue.

The Daily Wire reached out to Texas Roadhouse corporate for comment, and received the following reply from Vice President of Communications Travis Doster:

Kent Taylor has always said that Texas Roadhouse is a people-company that just happens to serve great steaks. The donation of his salary and bonus to help front-line employees is the embodiment of that saying. We are proud to have such a selfless leader who considers “Roadies” to be family.

In a message on the official Texas Roadhouse homepage, Taylor writes:

While we realize that many people are struggling right now, I want to take a moment to let you know what Texas Roadhouse is doing to help. We are open for business and still serving America even though many of our dining rooms are temporarily closed…

In the areas where our dining rooms are closed, we are ramping up our To-Go and Curbside services and we are also turning some of our parking lots into temporary drive-thrus to serve our regular menu. We are rolling out Family Value Packs as well, so stay tuned to your local Texas Roadhouse for more information.

The bottom line is these are challenging times, and we are all in this together. We will continue to do our best to adapt to your needs and help support every community we serve in a safe way. Thank you again for your loyalty to Texas Roadhouse.

COVID-19, which originated in China’s Hubei province, has infected nearly 530,000 people worldwide, and led to more than 23,900 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) Global Cases map. 122,150 people have recovered.

In the state of Indiana, where the steakhouse chain was founded, there have been 645 confirmed cases of COVID-19, leading to 17 deaths, according to the Indiana State Department of Health.

On Monday, Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb issued a “Stay at Home” order for the state.

The text of the order reads in part:

With exceptions as outlined below, all individuals currently living in the state of Indiana are ordered to stay at home or their place of residence, except as allowed in this Executive Order.

Under the “Essential Businesses and Operations” category, section (n), titled, “Restaurants for Consumption Off-Premises” the order notes an exemption for certain cases: “Restaurants, bars, taverns, and other facilities that prepare and serve food, but only for consumption off-premises, through such means as in-house delivery, third-party delivery, drive-through, curbside pick-up, and carry out. The in-person dining prohibition shall be enforced under and pursuant to the process described in Executive Order 20~10.”

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