Sonny’s BBQ founder Floyd ‘Sonny' Tillman dead at 96
ORLANDO, Fla. - Floyd "Sonny" Tillman, the founder of the Sonny’s BBQ restaurant chain, has died, the company announced on social media. He was 96.
Tillman died in his sleep on Sunday, according to the post.
Sonny's BBQ history
Tillman, along with his wife Lucille, opened the first Sonny’s BBQ on Waldo Road in Gainesville, Florida, in 1968. The company started franchising the restaurant 9 years later.
In 1991, Tillman sold the Sonny’s BBQ chain to Bob Yarmuth, who purchased his first Sonny’s BBQ restaurant in 1980. Yarmuth currently serves as the chairman and director of the company.
Sonny’s BBQ has nearly 100 locations across the southeast, including in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. There are more than 60 locations in Florida.
What they're saying:
"Sonny Tillman embodied everything that is special and everlasting about Sonny’s BBQ," said Jamie Yarmuth, the CEO of Sonny’s Franchise Company, in a statement. "His kindness and generosity were unparalleled, and while he may have made his name in the barbecue world, his philanthropic heart and an ability to create a true family dynamic at Sonny’s were undoubtedly his greatest accomplishments."
The Source: This story was written with information sourced from the Sonny's BBQ website and social media accounts.