978: Derrick Hayes CEO and Founder of The Famous Big Dave's Cheesesteaks

<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">With excitement allow me to introduce today's guest Founder and CEO of The Famous <a href="https://www.bigdavescheesesteaks.net">Big Dave's Cheesesteaks.</a> A West Philadelphia native, restaurateur and philanthropist, Derrick “D” <span class="il">Hayes</span> understands the value of hard work and perseverance. After falling into trouble with the law as a young man, Derrick found himself granted with an unexpected second chance and vowed to dedicate his time to giving back to his community while building a business to bring Atlanta a taste of his Philly roots. Inspired by his fond memories of assisting his grandfather in the kitchen for Sunday dinners, the charismatic visionary made his foray into the culinary world. </span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks proves to be an inspiring small business success, but not without its challenges. Derrick launched his first brick-and-mortar venture in a humble setting: a 700-square-foot space inside a Dunwoody, Georgia, Shell gas station. Following the opening, Derrick worked to build a following while cooking behind the grill each day, but the concept was met with little-to-no foot traffic. Months later, rapper, actress & fellow Philadelphia native Eve made a trip to visit the small restaurant while in town for a project. She posted a photo on social media, and the rest was history. In 2016, Derrick rebranded the concept from Dave’s Philly Water Ice into Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks. Since then, it has grown into a nationally-known cheesesteak staple. </span></p> <p>Unstoppables! Please consider taking this survey about our listener demographics so that we can better determine how to best serve our listeners. Less than 10 simple questions. Here is the link: <a href= "https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdDIaieCxKEe1Gd5OfhKS-txpc2fTUMDej-OrOr-MguQK0-xw/viewform?usp=sf_link"> CLICK HERE</a></p> <h2>Show notes…</h2> <h3>Calls to ACTION!!!</h3> <ul> <li>Join <a hr