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ATLANTA (AP) — A man who rose from poverty by building the privately-held restaurant chain Chick-fil-A has died. S. Truett Cathy was 93.
His restaurant chain famously closes every Sunday, in keeping with its Bible Belt observance of the day as a day of rest. And it drew unwanted attention for the Cathy family's opposition to gay marriage.
Those views helped win Cathy and his family a loyal following from conservative customers. But there were protests when Cathy's son defended the company's donations to groups campaigning against gay marriage. The controversy later subsided.
A Chick-fil-A spokesman says Cathy died at home early today in Georgia, surrounded by members of his family.
Cathy opened his first postwar diner in an Atlanta suburb in 1946. By 1967, he had founded and opened his first Chick-fil-A restaurant in Atlanta. The chain's boneless chicken sandwich propelled the chain's expansion to more than 1,800 outlets in 39 states and the nation's capital.
Even well into his 80s, Cathy was actively involved in the chain's operations. He set up a contract with his children that said they may sell the chain in the future, but that the company must never go public.
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143-a-07-(S. Truett Cathy, founder and chairman, Chick-Fil-A, in AP interview, in AP interview)-"of me yet"-In a 2011 interview, Chick-Fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy said he wasn't through with expanding the restaurant chain and living life to the fullest. (8 Sep 2014)
<<CUT *143 (09/08/14)££ 00:07 "of me yet"
146-a-06-(S. Truett Cathy, founder and chairman, Chick-Fil-A, in AP interview)-"too much money"-In a 2011 interview Chick-Fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy said he had seen too many families break up. (8 Sep 2014)
<<CUT *146 (09/08/14)££ 00:06 "too much money"
144-a-07-(S. Truett Cathy, founder and chairman, Chick-Fil-A, in AP interview)-"a family day"-In a 2011 interview, Chick-Fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy said his restaurants are closed on Sunday for two reasons. (8 Sep 2014)
<<CUT *144 (09/08/14)££ 00:07 "a family day"
APPHOTO NY404: FILE - In this Dec. 31, 2012, file photo, S. Truett Cathy the founder of Chick-fil-A watches teams warming up before the first half of the Chick-fil-A Bowl NCAA college football game between Clemson and LSU in Atlanta. A spokesman said Cathy, who started a postwar diner in Atlanta that grew into the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain, died early Monday, Sept. 8, 2014. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File) (31 Dec 2012)
<<APPHOTO NY404 (12/31/12)££
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