Big Dave’s Cheesesteak’s signature cheesesteak sandwich is available at four corporate locations and a food truck serving the Atlanta area, plus at nearby Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Derrick Hayes wants to conquer the cheesesteak market, and the charismatic founder and CEO of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks claimed he has both the product and franchise plan to make it happen.
“I decided to pick cheesesteaks because I’m from Philly and that is one of our most popular foods,” Hayes said. “There are a lot cheesesteak imitators out there, but we’re the only one making an authentic cheesesteak outside the Tri-State area” of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
With four corporate restaurants and a food truck in and around Atlanta and a major presence at nearby Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Hayes admitted his quest to establish a national food franchise has a long way to go. But the 36-year-old isn’t deterred. He points out Big Dave’s is expanding to Charlotte, North Carolina, early this year with its first franchise location; it also signed a 10-unit deal with former PepsiCo President Derek Lewis to develop restaurants in Florida.
“It’s just a matter of time before everyone is going to be talking about Big Dave’s and our cheesesteaks,” said Hayes.
A dynamic restaurateur, social activist and philanthropist, Hayes launched his first food concept, Big Dave’s Water Ice, out of a vacant 700-square-foot Shell Station in Atlanta in 2014 before transitioning to cheesesteaks.
He is driven by an entrepreneurial spirit ingrained at an early age and fortified by hardships and setbacks. Growing up in a family of five in West Philadelphia, he watched his father and then his grandfather
succumb to cancer. He bounced back and forth between Philadelphia and his grandfather’s home in Athens, Georgia, early on and dropped out of high school at one point.
He suffered from severe depression, got caught up in crime and later underwent a series of surgeries to repair his damaged back. But Hayes emerged to become a positive and confident businessman, laser-focused on making Big Dave’s a national brand.
Philadelphia native Derrick Hayes is the founder and CEO of Big Dave’s Cheesesteak, named and after his father.
“The last eight-and-a-half years I’ve been fighting a roller-coaster ride,” said Hayes, “but I never quit. I’m a fighter. I always knew I would be a star someday, and prove that a kid from the inner city with no college degree can overcome generational racism, poverty and make something of himself.”
Hayes said Big Dave’s is named after his father as his way of honoring his mentor and hero. He also credited his grandfather for instilling in him a love of food that helped turn his life around.
“Literally the day before he died, I promised my grandfather I wasn’t going to break the law anymore, that I was going to break all my generational curses, and that I was going to stand on the 10 toes that he helped raised me to be,” said Hayes, emotion evident in his voice.
Hayes said Big Dave’s represents a sustainable future for himself and his family, which includes five children with another on the way. His wife, Aisha “Pinky” Cole, meanwhile, is busy building her own food brand, plant-based burger chain Slutty Vegan, with nearly a dozen locations. She is monitoring the franchise journey—and taking notes.
“Derrick’s my guinea pig,” said Cole, who didn’t rule out franchising Slutty Vegan.
Over the past 18 months, Hayes has built out his support staff with several key hires, including Jesse Bray, president of both Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks Enterprise and BDC Franchise, and Mo Cantely as director of operations.
Big Dave’s franchise disclosure document reports its flagship location in downtown Atlanta generated more than $2 million in sales over an 18-month period.
Hayes’ development of Big Dave’s has been marked by some key moments. The first was when rapper and actress Eve stopped by Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks in Dunwoody, Georgia, early on and raved about her experience on social media.
And after being hired to cater an event at the Atlanta Falcons training camp, Hayes was invited to open a food stand at the NFL team’s 72,000-seat stadium. With two other kiosks now, Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks has become one of the most popular concession stands at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, according to Bray.
“The journey has just begun for us, but we’re ready to spread the love of cheesesteaks now,” Hayes said.