Charlie Goodson, founder of Charley G's and a driving force behind several of the city’s best-known restaurants, has died following a battle with esophageal cancer. Goodson passed away at his home in Lafayette on Wednesday after a lengthy illness, according to family members. In 1985, he founded Charley G's, a restaurant that became synonymous with Lafayette’s dining scene. The group operates Charley G's, Social Southern Table & Bar, Marcello's Lafayette, Pete's, and The Tap Room. Charlie Goodson’s legacy lives on in the restaurants he built, the people he mentored, and the dining culture he helped grow in Lafayette.