In Memoriam: Chick-fil-A Founder S. Truett Cathy

S. Truett Cathy, the founder of the privately held Chick-fil-A restaurant chain, died Sept. 8 at age 93. Cathy, credited with creating the original Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich and pioneering quick-service food in malls, built the nation’s largest quick-service chicken chain based on systemwide sales. With $5 billion in annual sales in 2013, Chick-fil-A is also one of the largest family-owned companies in the U.S.

Cathy opened his first postwar diner in an Atlanta suburb in 1946 and debuted Chick-fil-A in Atlanta in 1967. Today, more than 1,800 outlets can be found in 40 states and the nation’s capital. The company is helmed by son Dan, who succeeded his father as president in 2001 and as chairman and CEO last year, while Truett Cathy continued in the role of chairman emeritus until his death.