Born and raised in West Philadelphia, Derrick Hayes learned the craft in the kitchen with his grandfather, soaking up Sunday dinners, seasonings, and the soul of real Philly cooking. After personal hardship, a second chance inspired him to change the trajectory of his life.
He relocated to Atlanta, where the cheesesteaks just didn’t measure up. So he built his own. Housed in a 700-square-foot Dunwoody gas station and named for his late father, Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks was born, a tribute that would become a movement.