In the highly competitive restaurant industry, few brands have captured attention and momentum as quickly as Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks. What started as a small cheesesteak shop inside a Georgia gas station has grown into a rapidly expanding fast-casual franchise brand with national ambitions, celebrity recognition, stadium partnerships, and a compelling entrepreneurial story rooted in resilience, family, and culture.
At the center of the brand’s growth is founder Derrick Hayes, whose journey from West Philadelphia to successful restaurateur has become one of the more inspiring stories in modern franchising. Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks is more than just a restaurant concept—it is a brand built on authenticity, personal story, operational hustle, and a scalable franchise system that has resonated with both consumers and franchise investors. Today, the company is expanding through franchising with ambitions to become one of the largest Black-owned fast-casual restaurant brands in the country.
A Story Rooted in Family and Purpose
Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks was founded in 2014 by Derrick Hayes, a Philadelphia-born entrepreneur who moved to Atlanta and quickly noticed that authentic Philadelphia-style cheesesteaks were difficult to find in the city. Inspired by recipes and cooking lessons learned from family members growing up in West Philadelphia, Hayes began building what would eventually become Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks.
The concept was deeply personal from the beginning. Hayes named the business after his late father, Derrick “Big Dave” Hayes Sr., who passed away from lung cancer in 2009. Hayes has openly shared that building the business was part of fulfilling a promise to his father and breaking generational cycles through entrepreneurship.
The original location was modest—a 700-square-foot space inside a gas station in Dunwoody, Georgia. Originally operating under the name “Dave’s Philly Water Ice,” the business initially focused on Philadelphia-style frozen treats before pivoting heavily toward cheesesteaks. Like many startup restaurant concepts, the early days were difficult, and Hayes has spoken publicly about struggling financially and nearly shutting the business down multiple times.
Viral Exposure and Brand Momentum
The trajectory of Big Dave’s changed dramatically after Grammy-winning rapper and actress Eve visited the restaurant and posted about the cheesesteaks on social media. Almost overnight, the small gas station location experienced overwhelming demand and lines out the door. This moment became a defining turning point for the company—the sudden attention validated the product quality and helped create organic brand awareness that many restaurant startups struggle for years to achieve.
More importantly, the exposure helped establish Big Dave’s identity as an authentic, community-driven, culture-oriented fast-casual brand. The company’s signature “Dave’s Way” cheesesteak became a standout menu item and remains central to the brand today.
Building the Brand Beyond Cheesesteaks
What separates Big Dave’s from many independent sandwich shops is that Derrick Hayes focused on building a brand—not just selling food. From the beginning, the company emphasized storytelling, community engagement, family values, authenticity, and urban culture and identity. Hayes became highly visible as the face of the brand, sharing his entrepreneurial journey openly and connecting with customers through authenticity and relatability. This personal branding approach helped create strong emotional attachment to the company.
The brand also benefited from high-profile relationships and visibility through Hayes’ marriage to entrepreneur Pinky Cole, founder of Slutty Vegan, another highly successful Atlanta-based restaurant brand. Together, the two entrepreneurs became viewed as one of the restaurant industry’s most recognizable entrepreneurial power couples.
Expansion Across Atlanta and the Southeast
As customer demand increased, Big Dave’s began expanding strategically throughout Georgia and neighboring markets, opening multiple locations throughout the Atlanta area including Downtown Atlanta, Doraville, Forest Park, and Lawrenceville.
One of the most significant milestones came when Big Dave’s secured locations inside Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United. The company later expanded those partnerships with additional permanent stadium locations. These partnerships elevated the brand significantly by increasing visibility, validating operational scalability, and introducing the product to national audiences. The company also expanded into Orlando sports venues through partnerships connected to the Orlando Magic organization and Kia Center.
Transition Into Franchising
After successfully proving the concept through multiple corporate locations, Big Dave’s officially began franchising. To learn more about the franchise process and what to expect, see this overview of what is in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
The decision to franchise was driven by strong consumer demand, brand recognition, investor interest, and proven operational systems. Hayes has publicly stated that while he had considered franchising for years, he waited until the company had the proper infrastructure and team in place before expanding aggressively. This is an important distinction—many restaurant concepts franchise too early without scalable systems. Big Dave’s focused on first refining its operations, supply chain management, training, branding, and customer experience.
The Franchise Growth Strategy
Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks is positioning itself as a modern fast-casual franchise brand with aggressive expansion goals, including reaching 100 locations, expanding nationally, and growing internationally over time.
One of the brand’s first major franchise agreements came through former PepsiCo executive Derek Lewis, who signed a multi-unit deal to develop locations throughout Central Florida. This was a significant milestone that demonstrated investor confidence, institutional credibility, and the scalability of the model. The company has also emphasized building strong franchise support systems, including operational guidance and communication with franchise partners.
Why the Big Dave’s Franchise Model Works
1. Authentic Brand Identity
Many restaurant brands struggle to differentiate themselves. Big Dave’s has a highly authentic story tied directly to its Philadelphia roots, family legacy, ground-up entrepreneurship, and community. Consumers increasingly gravitate toward brands with genuine stories and strong founder visibility.
2. Strong Product Category
Cheesesteaks remain an extremely popular food category—portable, fast, indulgent, and highly craveable. Big Dave’s positions itself within the growing fast-casual segment while offering a differentiated menu compared to traditional burger and chicken concepts. Authentic Philly cheesesteak options remain scarce in most U.S. markets, giving the brand a clear competitive opening.
3. Operational Scalability
The menu and operational structure are relatively efficient for franchising, with streamlined kitchen operations, a fast service model, strong average ticket potential, and flexibility for stadium and nontraditional venue formats. This creates multiple growth avenues beyond traditional storefronts.
4. Cultural Relevance
Big Dave’s has successfully built cultural relevance through celebrity engagement, community involvement, social media presence, and entrepreneurial storytelling—helping the company punch above its weight in terms of brand awareness.
5. Leadership and Vision
Derrick Hayes has emerged as one of the more visible founders in fast-casual dining. He has openly discussed his vision to build “the first African-American billion-dollar fast casual brand.” That level of ambition and visibility has helped attract investors, media, franchisees, and strategic partners.
Challenges and Resilience
Like any growing restaurant company, Big Dave’s has faced operational and expansion challenges. One notable setback occurred when the company was forced to close its downtown Atlanta flagship location due to severe flooding tied to a city-wide water crisis. However, Hayes publicly framed the setback as an opportunity to pivot and quickly secured a new location shortly afterward. That resilience has become part of the company’s brand identity—adaptability, persistence, and entrepreneurial grit.
Industry Recognition
Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks has continued receiving recognition throughout the fast-casual restaurant industry, including Fast Casual’s “Top 100 Movers & Shakers,” Forbes Next 1000 recognition for Derrick Hayes, and growing national media coverage. These recognitions strengthen franchise development efforts and increase brand credibility with investors and franchise candidates.
The Future of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks
The company appears positioned for significant continued growth through franchising and strategic partnerships. Key opportunities include multi-unit franchise expansion, stadium and entertainment venue partnerships, international development, an expanded Southeast footprint, and nontraditional locations. Because the brand is still relatively early in its franchise lifecycle, it has substantial white space for expansion.
Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks represents one of the more compelling modern franchise growth stories in fast-casual dining. From a small gas station location in Georgia to a rapidly expanding multi-state franchise brand, the company’s growth has been fueled by authenticity, resilience, strong branding, and operational discipline. Derrick Hayes transformed personal adversity and family inspiration into a business that resonates deeply with customers and franchise investors alike.
The company’s journey also reflects a broader shift happening in franchising today—consumers increasingly support brands that feel real, personal, and culturally connected. Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks has successfully built exactly that, and its continued expansion suggests the brand’s growth story is still in its early chapters.
For more information on the Big Dave’s franchise, visit bigdavesway.com.
