Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy is dead at 93

(Image credit: Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2015

S. Truett Cathy, a fast-food entrepreneur who turned a boneless chicken patty into the Chick-fil-A empire, died at home early Monday morning. He was 93. Cathy started making his signature chicken sandwich in the 1960s at his Dwarf Grill in Hapeville, Georgia. "He got the idea for the chicken patties after a poultry distributor asked if he could use chicken leftover from meals made for compact meals on planes," says The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

There are now more than 1,800 Chick-fil-A restaurants in the U.S., earning $5 billion in revenue in 2013. Cathy was almost as famous for his strong religious beliefs as his sandwiches; the stores are still closed on Sundays, in line with those beliefs. His son, Dan Cathy, has been CEO and chairman of the company since 2013.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.