S. Truett Cathy, founder of the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain, died early Monday, a company spokesman said. He was 93.

Cathy died at 1:35 am in his home surrounded by loved ones. He opened his first diner, The Dwarf Grill, in a mall on the outskirts of Atlanta and lived to see it grow into a corporation with more than 1,800-restaurants.

In November 2013, he retired as both chairman and CEO of Chick-fil-A, leaving his son, Dan Cathy to assume the roles.

More From Praise 93.3