In this Hospitality Hustlers episode, sponsored by Toast, we’re serving up a story of grit, growth, and cheesesteaks that changed a life. Meet Derrick Hayes, CEO and founder of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks, who went from the street grind to the executive grind — using flavor and focus as his fuel.
Derrick shares how hospitality gave him purpose, how a sandwich sparked a movement, and what it means to hustle with heart. From building an iconic Philly-inspired brand in Atlanta to landing features in Forbes and Good Morning America, this is the kind of real talk and bold inspiration the industry needs.
This episode is part of our Hospitality Hustlers series — highlighting the leaders who started on the frontlines and rose to the top, one shift at a time.
Tune in for hospitality insights, guest experience gold, and a few funny food stories you won’t forget.
Episode Credits:
- Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
- Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy Frischling
- Producer: Julie Zucker
- Creative Director: Adam Levine
- Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
- Post Production: Three Cheers Creative
www.thehospitalityhangout.com
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce
Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!