S. Truett Cathy, the credited creator of the irresistible, succulent Chick-fil-A sandwich, passed away Monday at 93, according to multiple reports.
Cathy’s mouthwatering sandwich, which he invented in 1964 (WSJ), is a six-days-a-week gift to Americans in 40 of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. It is a staple of the latter’s culture, served at many a congressional staff briefing, craved by those even in tailored suits, and because this is America and we politicize everything, a source of some recent controversy. The AP reports:
Under the religiously conservative founder, the chain gained prominence for its Bible Belt observance of Sunday — none of its hundreds of restaurants are open on that day, to allow employees a day of rest. Its executives often said the chain made as much money in six days as its competitors do in seven.
Those religious views helped win Cathy and his family loyal following from conservative customers, but also invited protests when Cathy’s son denounced gay marriage.
Cathy’s son, Dan, who is currently chairman and president of the chain, had told the Baptist Press in 2012 that the company was “guilty as charged” for backing “the biblical definition of a family.” Gay rights groups and others called for boycotts and kiss-ins at Cathy’s restaurants. The Jim Henson Co. pulled its Muppet toys from kids’ meals, while politicians in Boston and Chicago told the chain it is not welcome there.
In response, Republicans went all-in on Chick-fil-A, helping push a “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day” in 2012.
“No signs and no protests are needed,” former presidential candidate and Republican senator Rick Santorum wrote in a letter at the time. “Just simply have a meal at Chick-fil-A on August 1 for “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day” and our support for traditional values will be heard loud and clear.”
As the AP noted, the controversy eventually “subsided.”
And the Chick-fil-A sandwich lives on.
