Derrick Hayes has found a home for his award-winning cheesesteaks in Charlotte.
The CEO of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks will open a 2,100-square-foot bricks-and-mortar store for that brand in the University City area this winter. That location, at 8548 University Blvd., will be open for lunch and dinner with counter service, patio dining and takeout.
Hayes expects to invest up to $650,000 into the space, including construction, training and inventory.
“I want people who actually are from up north, who live in Charlotte, to get a taste of Philly,” he says.
That restaurant — the first Big Dave’s outside of Georgia — likely won’t be its last here. Hayes says multiple restaurants are planned for the Charlotte market. He expects to bring the brand to Raleigh as well.
“One thing about me: I’m a risk taker. And I like to do things when a ball is rolling. So if it’s in my gut to do more locations there — which I know I will — we will do it,” he says.
Charlotte’s got a strong restaurant scene and is rapidly growing. It’s the brand’s most requested location on social media, Hayes adds.
“We wanted to be a part of what was happening in Charlotte and we want to be able to make history and break history,” he says.
Big Dave’s has carved out a niche for cheesesteaks in the South — and is working to fulfill a promise to Hayes’ late father, who died of lung cancer in 2009.
“I told my father I would change my life. I wouldn’t get in trouble anymore. I was going to do the right thing, and I was going to break out of my generational curses, so this is bigger than money for me,” Hayes says. “This is chasing levels.”
Hayes, who’s originally from west Philadelphia, moved to Georgia as a teenager for a fresh start. The state was a natural fit to launch his business, providing an opportunity to bring a taste of home to Northeast transplants while introducing others to an authentic cheesesteak.
“It was something that was missing in the South,” he says. “It wasn’t getting represented the right way,” he says.
Hayes landed a 700-square-foot space in a gas station in Dunwoody, Georgia, which would become his first sandwich shop. It had a broken fryer and broken grill, but Hayes wasn’t willing to admit defeat. The brand got a boost when rapper, actress and fellow Philadelphia native Eve came across the shop and posted a photo to social media.
There are now five bricks-and-mortar restaurants in the Atlanta market, three locations in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium and a food truck.
This year, Hayes projects sales will be between $15 and $20 million. Now, when people say Big Dave’s or order a cheesesteak Dave’s Way — loaded with onions, mushrooms, peppers and three cheeses served on an Amoroso’s roll — it’s like his father’s name is still alive. It’s a gift, Hayes says.
“All I had was a dream, and I knew I wasn’t giving up because I made that promise to my father. So, it was going to bring me to my knees and take the breath out of me before I quit, and that’s how I built this brand,” he says.
Big Dave’s has been ranked among the “Top 10 Best Sandwiches” by World Food Champions.
Today, top sellers are Dave’s Way and egg rolls, a twist on the cheesesteak. Other items include chicken, salmon and veggie options, Philly-inspired salads, wings and sides such as fries with Cheez Whiz.
For Hayes, expansion into North Carolina comes after Big Dave’s went on tour with its food truck. Charlotte was a big hit for the brand.
“We saw how the people showed up and showed out for us. They loved the food,” he says.
Hayes says it’s exciting to come to a new market and let communities know what Big Dave’s represents as a company. He’s looking forward to participating in community initiatives, providing career paths for the 25 to 30 people the restaurant will hire and uplifting others through the David & Derrick Hayes Foundation, a related college and Square 1: The Life Experience, which he founded with wife Pinky Cole.
Cole is behind the wildly popular, plant-based burger chain Slutty Vegan.
“We’re bigger than just the food,” he says. “I’m going to come there making a lot of noise. I’m not coming quiet.”
He has hopes to grow Big Dave’s to the major cities across the U.S.
And, he says there’s potential for a location near Cole’s in Charlotte. He says she’s getting close to a deal for the market.
“Hopefully, one of those locations might be next door to each other — you never know.”
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