Yankees restore Papa John’s relationship after N-word scandal

The Yankees have reinstated their relationship with Papa John’s a month after its founder reportedly used the N-word in a conference call, setting off a nationwide backlash against the pizza chain.

NEW YORK — The Yankees have re-instated their relationship with Papa John’s, less than a month after suspending it following the backlash the pizza chain faced when it was revealed founder John Schattner used the N-word in a conference call in May.

There will also be a rebranding of at least some Papa John’s logos seen at Yankee Stadium, a source with knowledge of the situation told NJ Advance Media on Friday night.

The logos will emphasize that the locations at the stadium are “locally owned and operated” — likely in an attempt to distance themselves from memories of the incident, the source said. The Yankees suspended their relationship with the company after several teams did it in early July.

The source requested anonymity because it wasn’t authorized to speak publicly.

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“As a result of the significant steps recently taken by Papa John’s, including the removal of their founder from all facets of their business, the Yankees have agreed to resume their relationship with the company,” the Yankees said in a statement late Friday night.

“As we stated last month, we found the remarks made by the Papa John’s founder to be reprehensible, and our feelings on the matter have not changed.

“The Yankees have had a longstanding relationship with 120 Papa John’s local franchise locations within the tri-state area, and we feel strongly that this incident does not represent their principles, values or their responsibilities to the communities they serve. 

“Papa John’s is implementing important and sincere measures to restore customers’ faith in their brand, including the launch of a diversity and inclusion committee, and a third-party audit of their company’s practices.  We are confident the company will continue to take the appropriate measures to show their commitment to preventing such an egregious incident from happening again in the future.”

Schattner resigned as chairman of the board of the company not long after revelation of his remark.

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.