Big Dave’s Cheesesteak is Much More Than Just a Sandwich

Philadelphia raised, Atlanta resident D. Hayes is the poster child for what dedication and hard work gets you when you stay focused on your goals. Starting his now popular Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks restaurant brand in a small Shell gas station in Dunwoody, GA, this 33-year-old entrepreneur is now running one of the hottest, most talked about restaurants in Atlanta with over 350 requests from eager entrepreneurs who are ready to bite into the Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks franchise pie.

During the pandemic, while many restaurants were fighting to keep their lights on and their doors open, D. Hayes was thriving and helping his community in more ways than one. From awarding small black-owned businesses with over $26,000 to feeding frontline healthcare workers at 40 hospitals in the Metro Atlanta area to giving out thousands of free meals to his community, Derrick and his team went above and beyond to reach and help as many people in need as they could.

Also being no stranger to the social injustices that blacks are faced with on a daily basis in the US, D. Hayes partnered with the popular Atlanta restaurant Slutty Vegan and gifted Rayshard Brooks’, the 27-year old black father that lost his life at the hands of an Atlanta police officer, widow and children with a new car, life insurance policies, and college scholarships to Clark Atlanta University.

I got the opportunity to pry into the life of D. Hayes and his successful Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks restaurant.

So tell me about the start of the now “world famous” Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks.

D. Hayes: Believe it or not I use to work in a Philadelphia hospital doing housekeeping. My father passed away in 2009 and from the time of his passing until I moved to Atlanta, I was battling a disability. So when I finally moved, I decided it was time for a change and I brought my love for Philly cheesesteaks to Atlanta. There was an open market for cheesesteaks, and I decided to be the person to fill the void.

I know family is extremely important to you as you named your restaurant after your late father. Tell me about Derrick Hayes, the family man.

D. Hayes: I am the father of two beautiful little girls, Dallas and Denver. Both of my girls were born in the city of Atlanta. Being that my father passed away from lung cancer, naming the restaurant after him was my big motivation to keep me going. And then when my kids were born, that became a much bigger motivation for me because I wanted to be able to leave them with financial stability, generational wealth, and get rid of the generational curses in my family.

I know you started in a small gas station. Tell me about that and how it feels to be where you are now?

D. Hayes: When I first started, I was the CEO, the cashier, the cook, the manager, and the entire team. I was everything, because as you know, starting out, I had to have my foot in the mud on grind mode. One day Eve, the rapper, came into my shop. And you know she is from Philly. She came in, had a sandwich, and posted it on her social media channels. And from there on I never looked back as business began booming for me. Years later I was able to represent Atlanta in a food competition where I ranked in the Top 10 for best sandwiches in the world. After that, success began to transpire for me on different levels. People began to start paying much closer attention to me and my brand. People would come into town from other states and stand in line for 3 – 4 hours just to taste my sandwiches. Before I knew it, I was blowing up and living in an unbelievable experience. It funny to think that I started out as 1 lone employee in a gas station and now I have over 40 employees in my standalone location. And with being a big believer in second chances, I do have current employees as well as offer jobs to convicted felons who have served their time and are trying to do right in life. To me Big Dave’s is bigger than food, it helps people to believe in themselves while providing them with some financial stability.

What do you think makes your cheesesteak sandwiches stand above the rest?

D. Hayes: To be honest, it’s all in the seasoning. The seasoning is a marinade that I created. Also, my bread comes directly from Philadelphia. Every sandwich we create, is made with love. We do not just put the ingredients together and say, “here you go.” We actually care about the sandwiches and want you to truly enjoy every bite you take. The same way I created this sandwich with love is the same way I teach my employees how to make each sandwich with love.

So what is next for Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks?

D. Hayes: We are currently working on creating franchise opportunities, but when COVID happened, I made the decision to pull back a little bit on that focus and lean more towards helping the community. Between the pandemic and the many human rights issues going on, my focus just changed a little to help those who needed it the most. I have a doorbell location opening soon along with my new food truck. I have also partnered with the owner of Slutty Vegan, Pinky Cole, to help get 25,000 life insurance policies on black men living in Atlanta. I really want to continue to operate at the high level that I have always been operating at. I really want to also just help the community. So, I will continue to open up new locations and offer members of the community employment opportunities. I am and always have been doing it for the culture.