{"id":19653,"date":"2023-11-02T00:45:41","date_gmt":"2023-11-02T00:45:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/leadership\/meet-the-colonel-sanders-of-cheesesteaks\/"},"modified":"2023-11-02T00:45:43","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T00:45:43","slug":"meet-the-colonel-sanders-of-cheesesteaks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=19653","title":{"rendered":"Meet The Colonel Sanders Of Cheesesteaks"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Derrick Hayes, founder of Big Dave\u2019s Cheesesteaks, reveals his formula to be the next fast-food king.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

By Diane Brady<\/sub>, Forbes Staff<\/sub><\/h4>\n

T<\/abbr>o make the perfect Philly Cheesesteak, Derrick Hayes says, you have to start with the right water. The water in Philadelphia, he insists, gives the bread a distinctive taste and consistency. Then it\u2019s important to get the right cut of meat and prepare it a certain way with the right seasoning. Hayes\u2019 formula is a patented blend of 13 herbs and spices. Like Colonel Harland Sanders, who kept his recipe for the 11 herbs and spices of Kentucky Fried Chicken in a vault in Louisville, Hayes keeps his recipe in a vault. The only person he\u2019s shared it with is Aisha \u201cPinky\u201d Cole, his wife and fellow entrepreneur who created the Slutty Vegan restaurant chain and brand.<\/p>\n

Hayes, 36, was inspired to launch his Big Dave\u2019s Cheesesteaks chain after tasting what passed for a \u201cPhilly\u201d when he moved to Atlanta. He chose the name \u201cBig Dave\u201d to honor his father, who died of lung cancer in 2009. He credits his grandfather with teaching him how to make the iconic sandwich. The Grammy Award-winning rapper and actress Eve, a Philadelphia native, put Big Dave\u2019s on the map when she stopped by the gas station where he\u2019d set up shop to try a sandwich and then raved about it to her fans on social media. Says Hayes: \u201cThe next day, I had lines out the door.\u201d<\/p>\n

He met Cole in the aftermath of George Floyd\u2019s death in 2020, when protestors broke the windows of his flagship location in downtown Atlanta and she reached out through Instagram to ask if he needed help. He declined help but asked to meet and immediately felt that he\u2019d met his soul-mate. \u201cI can remember sitting there and I was looking at her, looking at myself because she was a reflection of me,\u201d he says. \u201cMy beliefs, my wants, my dreams, my hopes, my needs, everything was hitting right on there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Power of Franchising<\/h2>\n

Now, with seven stores to his name and another on the way in Charlotte, North Carolina, Hayes is about to announce a 10-store deal to start franchising the brand in \u201ca state where oranges grow.\u201d He is talking to several potential partners about expanding nationwide, with plans to get to 100 units within one to two years. He\u2019s also partnering with Cole on new products and philanthropic projects.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat makes me feel good when I get a kid that walks up to me and says they changed their life because of me or they got out of the streets because of me or they want to do so many great things in the world because of me,\u201d says Hayes.<\/p>\n

For more insights on how Hayes built his brand and his road map for what\u2019s next, click on the video above.<\/p>\n

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<\/h4>\n

MORE FROM FORBES<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n

Read the full article here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Derrick Hayes, founder of Big Dave\u2019s Cheesesteaks, reveals his formula to be the next fast-food king. By Diane Brady, Forbes Staff To make the perfect Philly Cheesesteak, Derrick Hayes says, you have to start with the right water. The water in Philadelphia, he insists, gives the bread a distinctive taste and consistency. Then it\u2019s important […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19654,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-19653","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-leadership"},"yoast_head":"\nMeet The Colonel Sanders Of Cheesesteaks | Brandiary<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Derrick Hayes, founder of Big Dave\u2019s Cheesesteaks, reveals his formula to be the next fast-food king. 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