S. Truett Cathy

Samuel Truett Cathy was born in Eatonton, Georgia, and grew up in Atlanta. During the family’s financial difficulties around the Great Depression, he delivered newspapers, sold drinks and performed odd jobs.⁠[1]

After military service, Cathy and his brother Ben opened the Dwarf Grill in Hapeville, Georgia. Later renamed the Dwarf House, it became the starting point of the Chick-fil-A business.⁠[2][3]

After Ben died in a plane crash, Cathy continued the business and opened a second Dwarf House in 1951.⁠[2]

Chick-fil-A’s official product history dates Cathy’s finalized original chicken sandwich recipe to 1964, following repeated testing.⁠[4]

Cathy opened the first Chick-fil-A branded restaurant at Atlanta’s Greenbriar Shopping Center, subsequently expanding through shopping-mall locations.⁠[5][2]

Cathy established a scholarship program supporting restaurant employees’ further education.⁠[6]

Cathy and his wife Jeannette founded the Christian nonprofit WinShape Foundation, initially supporting college students. Its work later expanded to children, marriages, team development and foster families.⁠[7]

WinShape Camps began offering summer-camp experiences focused on young people’s character, faith and relationships.⁠[8]

The company’s memorial account dates Cathy’s establishment of WinShape Homes to 1987, supporting foster children through family-style residential care.⁠[9]

Cathy received the Horatio Alger Association Award as a member of its 1989 class.⁠[2]

Cathy was selected for the William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership, recognizing charitable work including education, foster care and youth programs.⁠[10]

His eldest son Dan Cathy became chairman and CEO. Truett Cathy continued as chairman emeritus until his death.⁠[11]

The Georgia Historical Society and Governor Nathan Deal inducted Cathy and Herman Russell as Georgia Trustees, recognizing their achievements and public service.⁠[12]

Cathy died at home in Clayton County, Georgia, aged 93. The company’s announcement stated that it would remain privately held and continue closing on Sundays.⁠[11][1]

Chick-fil-A announced San Antonio’s Faith Kitchen as its 2026 S. Truett Cathy Honoree, receiving $350,000. The distinction forms part of the company’s True Inspiration Awards and commemorates its late founder.⁠[13]

In a Founder’s Week post, grandson and current CEO Andrew CathyAndrew CathyAndrew Cathy (Andrew Truett Cathy) is the CEO of Chick-fil-A. He succeeded his father Dan Cathy in 2021 as the family-owned company’s third chief executive. A grandson of founder S. Truett Cathy, he previously operated a restaurant, led franchisee selection, and served as chief people officer and executive vice president of operations.Open the full entry reflected on the business begun in 1946. He described continuing commitments to Sunday closing, customer service and community investment alongside adaptation to changing tastes and technology.⁠[14]

Cathy attended Atlanta’s Boys High School and later served in the U.S. Army. He and Jeannette had three children—Dan, Don (Bubba) and Trudy—with family members subsequently involved in the company and philanthropy.⁠[11][2][8]

He incorporated Christian beliefs into his business principles, closing on Sundays from 1946 so employees could rest or worship if they chose.⁠[15]

His books include It’s Easier to Succeed Than to Fail (1989), Eat Mor Chikin: Inspire More People (2002), It’s Better to Build Boys Than Mend Men (2004), How Did You Do It, Truett? (2007), and Wealth, Is It Worth It? (2011). He coauthored The Generosity Factor (2002) with Ken Blanchard.⁠[8]

Chick-fil-A: Website: https://www.chick-fil-a.com/ (opens in a new window); X: https://x.com/ChickfilA (opens in a new window); YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: https://www.youtube.com/@chickfila (opens in a new window); LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chick-fil-a-corporate/ (opens in a new window). These are company channels.⁠[16][17][18][19]

WinShape Foundation: Its history and company memorial resources describe Cathy’s philanthropy. Official website: https://winshape.org/ (opens in a new window).⁠[7][9]