S. Truett Cathy, the founder of the fast food Chick-fil-A juggernaut, died Monday morning. He was 93 years old.
Cathy died at 1:35 a.m. Monday morning, surrounded by his loved ones, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He became a superstar in the industry and saw his company become the No. 1 fried chicken restaurant in the country, despite all locations being closed on Sundays. He stood by his Christian principles, even in business.
Chick-fil-A grew from a single location just outside of Atlanta to becoming a behemoth with 1,800 locations. However, while the company exceeded $5 billion in sales in the U.S., Cathy was never able to bring the company overseas successfully.
The company has also had its fair share of controversy in recent years, as accusations flew that the company discriminated against non-Christians and gays. His son, Dan Cathy, fanned the flames in summer 2012 by voicing support against gay marriage, although they eventually agreed to stop funding anti-gay groups. In June 2013, Dan Cathy criticized the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act, although he later deleted the tweet.
Dan Cathy is now the company’s CEO. His father held the position of chairman emeritus at the time of his death, but many will always think of him as the face of the company.
Chick-fil-A continues to look for new ways to bring in customers. Last month, they unveiled a new breakfast menu, which is currently being tested in select markets.
Cathy is survived by his wife, Jeannette McNeil Cathy; sons Dan T. and Don “Bubba” Cathy; and daughter Trudy Cathy White.
image courtesy of Brooks/Campos/INFphoto.com
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