Right About Now with Ryan AlfordSearch 664 episodes
Derrick Hayes
Guest

Derrick Hayes

Founder and CEO · Big Dave's Cheesesteaks

Derrick Hayes is the Philadelphia-born founder and CEO of Big Dave's Cheesesteaks, which he started in Atlanta in 2014 after promising his late father he would open a business. He now operates 12 locations, is franchising across the Southeast, and runs the Blue Apron program that trains and graduates young employees into restaurant careers.

2 episodes · Startups & Founding · Mindset, Grit & Failure · Retail & Physical Business
In their words
if you hustle with no knowledge, you just always going to hustle.
Derrick Hayes
You're a hobby hustler. That's the new one. You're a hobby hustler.
Derrick Hayes
I want to be respected in rooms that shock them when they hear this come out my mouth because they can't believe it.
Derrick Hayes

Questions Derrick answers

Episodes

How Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks Went from Gas Station Restaurant to Multi-Location Franchise | Derrick Hayes
Stop Being a Hobby Hustler: How Derrick Hayes Took Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks from a Gas Station to a Franchise
Jan 27, 2026

How Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks Went from Gas Station Restaurant to Multi-Location Franchise | Derrick Hayes

Oct 9, 2026

Stop Being a Hobby Hustler: How Derrick Hayes Took Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks from a Gas Station to a Franchise