Fast food chain Chick-fil-A Inc. founder Samuel Truett Cathy passed away early on Monday at his suburban home in Clayton County at the age of 93.

The company had announced its founder's death but did not mention the cause.

"He died peacefully at home, surrounded by loved ones," the statement posted on the company's website said.

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Cathy made his fortune after he established the fast food franchise in Hapeville, Georgia which became popular for its "Eat Mor Chikin'" tagline as well as its tradition of staying closed every Sunday as a reflection of his Southern Baptist faith.

68 years later, the billion-worth company had grown and prospered into over 1,800 outlets in 40 states nationwide.

Born in 1921 in Eatonton, Cathy and his brother Ben started the chain in 1946 with a restaurant he named the Dwarf Grill where they first discovered the chicken sandwich that is now enjoyed by many Chick-fil-A patrons.

Aside from their signature chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-A also offered a taste of the South which included helpings of biscuits, sweet tea, and gravy that all helped lead the chain to reach an annual sales of $5 billion by 2013, surpassing KFC in terms of sales in the U.S.

For the past few years, Cathy had handed on the company's management to his son, Dan, and assumed overseeing it as the chairman emeritus.

Under his son's management, the company encountered a controversy after Cathy's son defended the company's donations to groups lobbying against gay marriage.

During that time, gay rights advocates called for kiss-ins and boycotts at the fast food chains resulting in politicians from Chicago and Boston refusing to welcome the fast food in their area.

Fortunately, the controversy later subsided and the elder Cathy was even dubbed as one of the wealthiest Americans by Forbes magazine.

"I've experienced poverty and plenty and there's a lesson to be learned when you're brought up in poverty. I had to create some good work habits and attitude," S. Truett Cathy stated in 2007 interview.

TagsChick-fil-A Inc., Samuel Truett Cathy, 93, chick-fil-a, truett cathy, fast food, chicken