NEW: Funeral services for regional fast food mogul Pal Barger to be private

The family of fast food franchise owner Pal Barger announced Friday that his funeral services will be private due to COVID-19 concerns.

Barger, who achieved regional, state, and then national accolades for his operations for both employees and customer service, died Thursday at the age of 90. His famous menu and sweet tea were first made from scratch at his first burger stand in downtown Kingsport. Today, Pal’s is a regional chain made up of 30 locations in Tennessee and Virginia.

Barger’s family also said in the statement that a public celebration of Pal’s life will take place when pandemic conditions are reduced. They also encouraged people to make donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s disease research or to their favorite charity in lieu of flowers in honor of Pal.

(IMAGE: GM)