Texas Roadhouse is a publicly traded company with no single controlling owner. Founder Wayne Kent Taylor, who opened the first location in Clarksville, Indiana in 1993, led the company as CEO until his death in March 2021. Gerald “Jerry” Morgan took over as CEO that same year and has led the chain since.
Institutional investors now hold the largest blocks of stock, led by BlackRock at roughly 10%, Vanguard at about 9.6%, and AllianceBernstein at around 5%. Morgan has emphasized keeping the company’s managing partner structure — a profit-sharing model tied to individual restaurant performance — at the center of how Texas Roadhouse operates and grows.
Quick Facts
| Company | Texas Roadhouse, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Ticker | NASDAQ: TXRH |
| CEO | Gerald “Jerry” Morgan (since 2021) |
| Founder | Wayne Kent Taylor (1955-2021) |
| Largest Shareholders | BlackRock (~10%), Vanguard (~9.6%), AllianceBernstein (~5%) |
| Founded | 1993, Clarksville, Indiana |
Ownership History
| Year | Development |
|---|---|
| 1993 | Kent Taylor opens the first Texas Roadhouse at Green Tree Mall in Clarksville, Indiana |
| 2004 | Texas Roadhouse goes public on NASDAQ |
| 2021 | Kent Taylor passes away in March; Jerry Morgan is named CEO the same year |
| 2024 | Morgan publicly reaffirms the company’s managing-partner-centered growth philosophy |
| 2026 | Texas Roadhouse remains a widely held public company, with BlackRock, Vanguard, and AllianceBernstein as its largest institutional shareholders |
Key Ownership Highlights
- Kent Taylor’s 2021 death marked a significant leadership transition, but the company’s core operating philosophy — profit-sharing managing partners running individual restaurants — has continued under Jerry Morgan largely unchanged.
- As a widely held public company, Texas Roadhouse has no founder-family control structure or dual-class shares, unlike several other restaurant chains still run by their founding families.
- The concentration of ownership among large index-fund managers (BlackRock, Vanguard) is typical for a mature, well-established public restaurant stock.
Related Reading
See also our profile of fellow beloved American restaurant House of Prime Rib.
FAQ
Who owns Texas Roadhouse?
No single owner — it’s a public company. BlackRock, Vanguard, and AllianceBernstein are its largest institutional shareholders.
Who runs Texas Roadhouse now?
Jerry Morgan has served as CEO since 2021, following founder Kent Taylor’s death that year.