Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy is being mourned at his local restaurant here in The Villages.
The 93-year-old Chick-fil-A founder died early Monday morning surrounded by loved ones.
In the beginning, Cathy opened a tiny diner on the outskirts of Atlanta. He built it into into a corporation with more than 1,800-restaurants.
But he carried forth an unorthodox philosophy for a restaurant chain. The restaurants were closed on Sundays.
He visited the Chick-fil-A store at The Villages in 2006.
Stephen May, owner of the local restaurant, remembers it well.
“S. Truett Cathy will always be my hero. Â I am beyond blessed to have known and worked along side him. Â He was an incredible man full of integrity, generosity, and a true servant leader. Â Though his work is done here on earth, his legacy will continue to have an impact on the lives of people,” May said.Â
The warmth and hospitality that Cathy preached was infectious.
“In meeting Truett I personally experienced the warm, welcoming feeling he has incorporated into the philosophy of Chick-fil-A,” said Karen Mercer, marketing director of Chick-fil-A of The Villages.Â
Born March 14, 1921, in Eatonton, Georgia, Cathy was four years old when his family moved to Atlanta, where he attended Boys High, now known as Grady High School. In 1946, Cathy relied on a keen business sense, a strong work ethic, and a deep Christian faith to build a tiny diner in the Atlanta suburb of Hapeville, Georgia. He developed it into Chick-fil-A, which today has the highest same-store sales and is the nation’s largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain based on annual system-wide sales. It was at the original restaurant that Cathy created the sandwich that became the company’s signature item. Â
Credited with creating the original Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich and pioneering in-mall fast food, Cathy built one of the nation’s largest family-owned companies as Chick-fil-A reached $5 billion in annual sales in 2013. Currently, there are more than 1,800 Chick-fil-A restaurants operating in 40 states and Washington, D.C. Remarkably, Cathy led Chick-fil-A on an unparalleled record of 47 consecutive years of annual sales increases. Cathy’s oldest son, Dan, became president of Chick-fil-A in 2001 and chairman and chief executive officer in 2013, while Truett Cathy continued in the role of chairman emeritus until his death.
Cathy was a devout Southern Baptist who taught Sunday school to 13-year-old boys for more than 50 years. As an extension of the founder’s faith and the clearest example of incorporating biblical principles into the workplace, all Chick-fil-A restaurants—without exception—operate with a “Closed-on-Sunday” policy. Rare within the food service industry, this policy allows employees a day for family, worship, fellowship or rest and also underscores Cathy’s desire to put principles and people ahead of profits. Chick-fil-A will remain privately held and closed on Sundays.
Cathy was often quoted as saying: “I’d like to be remembered as one who kept my priorities in the right order. We live in a changing world, but we need to be reminded that the important things have not changed. I have always encouraged my restaurant operators and team members to give back to the local community. We should be about more than just selling chicken, we should be a part of our customers’ lives and the communities in which we serve.”
For more information about Cathy’s life and legacy, follow the link below:
