July 16, 2025 • 42 mins
Derrick Hayes, CEO of Big Dave's Cheesesteaks, shares his incredible journey from a postal worker to building a fast-casual empire in this inspiring Fast Casual Nation episode. Named after his late father, Big Dave's has grown from a single location with a broken grill to 7 stores and 15 franchise locations, ranking #6 on Fast Casual Magazine's emerging brands list. Hayes discusses his strategic approach to franchising, innovative drive-thru model, and vision for creating a billion-dollar brand that breaks generational barriers while serving authentic Philadelphia cheesesteaks.
FastCasual #BigDaves #RestaurantFranchising
Get Your Podcast Now! Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking to amplify your voice and establish yourself as a thought leader? Look no further than SavorFM, the premier podcast platform designed exclusively for hospitality visionaries like you. Take the next step in your industry leadership journey – visit https://www.savor.fm/
Capital & Advisory: Are you a fast-casual restaurant startup or a technology innovator in the food service industry? Don't miss out on the opportunity to tap into decades of expertise. Reach out to Savor Capital & Advisory now to explore how their seasoned professionals can propel your business forward. Discover if you're eligible to leverage our unparalleled knowledge in food service branding and technology and take your venture to new heights.
Don't wait – amplify your voice or supercharge your startup's growth today with Savor's ecosystem of industry-leading platforms and advisory services. Visit https://www.savor.fm/capital-advisory
Get Your Podcast Now! Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking to amplify your voice and establish yourself as a thought leader? Look no further than SavorFM, the premier podcast platform designed exclusively for hospitality visionaries like you. Take the next step in your industry leadership journey – visit https://www.savor.fm/
Capital & Advisory: Are you a fast-casual restaurant startup or a technology innovator in the food service industry? Don't miss out on the opportunity to tap into decades of expertise. Reach out to Savor Capital & Advisory now to explore how their seasoned professionals can propel your business forward. Discover if you're eligible to leverage our unparalleled knowledge in food service branding and technology and take your venture to new heights.
Don't wait – amplify your voice or supercharge your startup's growth today with Savor's ecosystem of industry-leading platforms and advisory services. Visit https://www.savor.fm/capital-advisory
FastCasual #BigDaves #RestaurantFranchising
Get Your Podcast Now! Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking to amplify your voice and establish yourself as a thought leader? Look no further than SavorFM, the premier podcast platform designed exclusively for hospitality visionaries like you. Take the next step in your industry leadership journey – visit https://www.savor.fm/
Capital & Advisory: Are you a fast-casual restaurant startup or a technology innovator in the food service industry? Don't miss out on the opportunity to tap into decades of expertise. Reach out to Savor Capital & Advisory now to explore how their seasoned professionals can propel your business forward. Discover if you're eligible to leverage our unparalleled knowledge in food service branding and technology and take your venture to new heights.
Don't wait – amplify your voice or supercharge your startup's growth today with Savor's ecosystem of industry-leading platforms and advisory services. Visit https://www.savor.fm/capital-advisory
Get Your Podcast Now! Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking to amplify your voice and establish yourself as a thought leader? Look no further than SavorFM, the premier podcast platform designed exclusively for hospitality visionaries like you. Take the next step in your industry leadership journey – visit https://www.savor.fm/
Capital & Advisory: Are you a fast-casual restaurant startup or a technology innovator in the food service industry? Don't miss out on the opportunity to tap into decades of expertise. Reach out to Savor Capital & Advisory now to explore how their seasoned professionals can propel your business forward. Discover if you're eligible to leverage our unparalleled knowledge in food service branding and technology and take your venture to new heights.
Don't wait – amplify your voice or supercharge your startup's growth today with Savor's ecosystem of industry-leading platforms and advisory services. Visit https://www.savor.fm/capital-advisory
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We are back here on of course, Fast Casual Nation,
the podcast that started it all. You guys, we have
good a good one for you today. It is going
to be a rock star episode. Joining me is my
co host, Miss Shay Canceler. How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
I am great, good morning. It is a hot one
here in Kansas City, so trying to stay cool.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
How about you, Paul.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Hey, I'm just living the dream. Baby, live in the dream.
As they say, Hey, listen, we've got a big one.
We've got the founder and CEO of Big Daves Cheese
Steaks coming out of Philly joining us today is going
to be a good one. We'll get into all that
good stuff. This is going to be the topic of
what we have now called the Cheese Steak Chronicles. It's
(00:41):
a story you don't want to miss. We will be
right back, so stick around. My name is Paul Baron.
(01:08):
As the early pioneer in fast casual I've seen the
industry evolve from just a few operators to the most
sought after segment by consumers around the world. Now we're
planning to shape its future. Tap into decades of my
expertise identifying the emerging brands and tech winners in the
space Saber Capital, we'll be fueling the next generation of
(01:33):
fast casual innovation. All right, we're back here on Fast
Casual Nation, guys, and we're going to get into it.
Today's share. Our first thing I want to hit on
is a couple of news stories over on fastcasual dot com.
What is going on in the chill and nitrogen ice
cream space? What is this? What is this?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
So this is just a very cool fast casual brand,
Delicious ice Cream. But what we have an interview with
them today about local sourcing. So you know, it's a
national brand and instead of just doing the whole national
Cisco thing, he is really obsessed with making all the
locations use local dairy farms. So even though they do
(02:14):
have a natural distributor with Cisco, they can you know,
get them in with them with the whole local state
so they can have transparent story. It builds loyalty, So
you might want to check that out. He wrote this
commentary about kind of his strategy behind it.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
So listen this this is a good I like this
kind of product because as we start to see nitrogen,
because there's there's a brand, it's a competing brand that's
here in our local town that is doing this, and
I tried the product not too long ago, and I
was pretty impressed. I mean, first of all, the consistency
(02:50):
of it is very gelato like, so it's not like
a hard ice cream. It has that kind of smoothie
silky like a gelato does. That could win over some
yeah consumers.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Well, and their brand is like, you know their competitors,
he says, you know our competitors. You can mix the
milk from all different kinds of fairy farms and stuff,
but I don't know, they.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Don't do that.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
They don't do that. Well, that's pick to the state.
So it's interesting literally know exactly what's in it. So
his customers really like that. They feel transparent.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
So I love it all right, listen, I'm going to
join this Hot Dad calendar.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
This is my favorite story of the week. Finally, men
are like the week this week instead of women. But
this is habit for a fast casual brand out It's Texas.
They have partnered with the UFC GYM to create a
Hot Dad calendar to roll out their salads.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
So if you scroll down a.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Little bit, you could see like they have titles and
the one I love sadly kind of love is somebody
is named mister Side Salad.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
So there's mister I don't mister Side. There was Zach
Zewers from La coming in and as mister Side Salad.
You know, I like it. And then you got mister
Harvest chopped.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
Yeah, I think.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
A lot better than Side Salad.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
He's like too funny. Hey, listen, you know some of
these brands, they got to do stuff like this, you know,
to stay in the news. And of course it worked
for Habit Burgers.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
So yeah, well we'll have to be mister fast casual salad.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
There you go. Yeah right, it would be I don't
know what it would be. I have to come up
with a menu concept on that one. Hey, listen. Joining
us today is mister Derek Hayes, who is the CEO
of none other than Big Daves Cheese Days. Hey Derek,
how are you?
Speaker 4 (04:46):
How you doing? Thank you guys for having me.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Yeah, man, this is gonna be fun. We're going to
get into it. If this is your I don't know
if you probably have doing podcast all over the.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
Place, watching I do a couple of these a week.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
I'm watching you and you're blowing up out there. So
I'm very I'm very proud of what you guys are doing.
Tell us the story, get into just kind of the
origin story of Big Daves and really what kind of
got you going?
Speaker 4 (05:12):
Well.
Speaker 5 (05:12):
First off, I dedicated Big Daves to my father. He
passed away from lung cancer in two thousand and nine.
I'm from West Philadelphia, barn and raised just like Will Smith.
I got sent off to Athens, Georgia in two thousand
and two just to kind of, you know, get a
different scenery. My parents went to me to you know,
(05:33):
not being in the inner.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
City of Philadelphia. I had too much time on my hands.
Speaker 5 (05:36):
I played basketball growing up, and needless to say, I
really stayed in Athens until I got into the twelfth grade.
Who was keeping me focused? She passed away and I
went back to Philly. And when I went back to Philadelphia,
I had more than enough credits to graduate from high school.
So I was on going to school for half a
day and the rest just was just free time of
(05:56):
me just getting in trouble. So I got caught like
kind of you know, put in that trap, that box
that I didn't want to be pitting a lot of people,
was you know, kind of upset that I didn't make
it in basketball because I went so hard in it.
But in two thousand and nine, when my father got
diingos with cancer, we just.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Thought he had a bad cold.
Speaker 5 (06:15):
I remember the day I was riding the car with
him and he looked over at me and it was
just like this look that he was really like worried,
and I wanted to be there for him. And at
the time, I was working in the Postal Service. I
was a mail handler. So basketball didn't work. But I
had got a career job where I said, you know,
I got a good government job where I could retire.
I was doing really good, been there four years, never
(06:35):
missed the day. And one day I went to my
manager and asked him, can I get time off to
be there with my father, you know, fighting his cancer
storm with him.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
And he said, you know, it's the holiday. I can't
give you time off.
Speaker 5 (06:47):
I said, well, you know what, I can get another job.
I ain't get another father.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
I'm out.
Speaker 5 (06:51):
So my mind getting in my Buick concern and driving
all the way to Atlanta, Georgia, where my dad was
treating at an Emma University, and for about six months
of me just you know, in a hospital room with
him not going home.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
I got to learn my dad in a different way.
Speaker 5 (07:08):
You know, a lot of people don't understand, you know,
when your hair on, you know, earth and everything is
good and everybody's smiling. Some commerce aren't as intense because
it's not life threatening. So before my dad passed, I
had an opportunity to talk to him and I made
him a promise.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
I said that, you know, he raised me to stand
on my ten toes.
Speaker 5 (07:27):
I was going to break the generational curses and he
know I could do it and he believed in me.
And look where I'm at today, you know, just seeing
all of these roller coaster rise, these obstacles, me starting
a little shell gas stations I done with in Georgia
on the three foot gril, broken fire and a lot
of people saying you too far outside the city. Nobody's
going to support it. But one thing people will support
(07:49):
is a good story and good food. Yeah, and something
that represents, you know, America. And I felt like I
had something that wasn't just a black owned brand. I
had a people's brand. I had a brand that represented
just like when McDonald's came out or Chick fil A,
any of those brands, so I wanted people to understand
what I was selling.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
Yeah, and it was just a great story and a
really really damn bit sandwich.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
I love it. Man. My father has a righteous son.
Speaker 5 (08:16):
Yeah, joyces and I mean the goal was honestly you
know too. I used to say, you know, these blue
signs on all the exes. I wanted to make my
dad's names live on, just like how McDonald's all blue signs.
Myles I said, one day I'll have my kids and
we'll be just driving around, whether we in Minnesota, Arkansas,
whatever state that we drive past, we can jump into
(08:36):
a big day cheese steaks and say, you know, look
what I created there.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
It all came from that.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Yeah, it all created from that.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
I love it. Well, listen to the industry, uh touching
right now. You compare it to what's happening in QSR.
Fast casual continues to grow. Obviously, this is a unique
category cheese steaks. You know, Yes, I'm so okay. One
of my favorite movie's Creed two. You know when you
go in and I'm trying to remember Juan, is that
(09:06):
what they is? Juan John the Philly the Philly name
where they just call everything.
Speaker 5 (09:13):
John ain't going oh Joe in the dictionary.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Now, Oh my god, I love it. I did not
know that learning that about the cheese steaks.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
You brought that up because a lot of people don't
know that. I could be like, you know.
Speaker 5 (09:27):
That Joan is fire or that good, Like what is
he talking about?
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Hey, I had to learn that through Creed, so I
had no idea what it was.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
That's the famous Philly word for sure.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
That's cool. So obviously Philly known for cheeseteakes. I've been
there many times, have had some, I think some of
the best. I haven't had yours. So the jury is
still out. I got to get down there now and
Dames das all right. So okay, so you guys have
I mean the origin story first of all, great origin story.
I think this is something that we need more of
(10:00):
in the space as you grow and you start to build.
Right now, I know you're kind of assembling the team.
What is like the big challenge for you guys today
on you know this next step for you?
Speaker 4 (10:16):
Good question.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
Well, I would say in the last past ten years ran,
but for the last three years it's been a reding
company because of the choices I've made to hire the
right pieces that had more experience than me.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
So I bought in a president Jesse Bray.
Speaker 5 (10:35):
I brung in a diftrict operator, Mocanti.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
I just now I want a class for Suel Mide.
Speaker 5 (10:44):
I just brung sewell and as my franchise advisor really
just like a company advisor.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
He's been really.
Speaker 5 (10:51):
Good with me, give me good advice, schooling me on
fast casual. But when I tell you, uh, I got
a team and we're ready for We're ready for whatever
word come for us. I got the nineteen ninety five
Bulls team right now. It will be the highest fast
casual brand in the country.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
All right, Well then who is pipping? Who is pipping?
Speaker 5 (11:12):
Hey man, I'm gonna get pipping to my team. It
ain't one person. When I passed the body, all can deliver.
So I do you know what with my company?
Speaker 4 (11:18):
Is me? And is them?
Speaker 3 (11:19):
And are how many? How many stores do you have
right now? And what's kind of the game plan?
Speaker 5 (11:25):
So I have seven open, I have fifteen franchise locations.
I franchised to the press PEPSI president. His name is
Derek Lewis. As soon as he retired, he bought ten
Central Florida. So we're building out that market. Right now,
I'm the official chief Steak Orlando Magic. I'm in Camping
(11:45):
World Stadium where they hold the Florida Classics. I just
got in another college arena. I'm about to make the
press releases.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
We'll go. Did you drop it now?
Speaker 4 (11:55):
I'm dropping on y'all now UCF. I just got in
there around.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Florida, another Florida.
Speaker 5 (12:05):
And right now I'm just really happy because you know,
I really know that I deserve all the opportunity that
I'm getting right now. My background is a little different.
I don't look like the average CEO. I don't have
the background a lot of CEOs having a multimillion dollar
company coming from Fast Casual, So I know it could
be a little scary for Fast Casual, But I can
tell you this, I'm going to disrupt this market more
(12:26):
than it's ever been disrupted. I'm going to leave this
market more than it's ever been leaded because my story
is going to resonate not just nationally but globally to
kids around the country that look like me and don't
look like me, that want that second chance, that want
that chance to show who they are, And right now,
for Fast Casual selecting me at number six, I'm already
done something that's never been done. So it's now opening
(12:47):
doors to say that I could do it too. And
that's what I've always been about me with my brain.
It's about not just uplifting myself and what I'm selling,
but people around me and people that's watching. And I
think right now, Fast Casual it's nothing tangible to what
I'm doing, right.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Yeah, Well you hit on something here. I think I
wish more Fast Casual operators had this passion, you know,
because this this industry when it first really started going
in the mid nineties to the early two thousands, you know,
every operator that I met, that was the one thing
that I could always point to and say, that's why
this sector is going to explode. It's this, It's this
(13:24):
X factor of passion that I've never seen anywhere else
except this one spot. And it hasn't been replicated in
any other sector. Casual dining hasn't replicated it, QSR hasn't
Fine dining, definitely not. It is its its own uniqueness.
So I think you're definitely going to bring some some
power to the to the player zone. So I'm glad
(13:46):
to have, you guys.
Speaker 5 (13:47):
Here, it's really like I got It's really like I
got something to prove in a positive way.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
You know. It's not like this. I want to stroke
my own ego all day.
Speaker 5 (13:54):
But I also know what I had, and I know
it's a lot of brains that get the kudos and
the plats and all of that and because of the
relationships they have and the power resource they have.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
But now Derek Hay's getting that. So now they about
to see what I can do.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Yeah, listen, man, you need a chip on your shoulder
to make it. You gotta have one. Gotta have one. Yeah,
I got one.
Speaker 5 (14:16):
The reason why and the reason why I had one
is because, you know, it's like the Rocky move. You know,
you mentioned, uh you mentioned. Let's talk about you know,
Philly when it comes to that. I watched people get
knocked down. I watch myself get knocked down. I watched setters,
I watch motivators. I watch all these people throughout the
years of my life. But I also see a lot
(14:36):
of them take their hands off the wheel or get
stagging it when they get to a certain point. I
know my mission and where I'm trying to get to,
so It's like, you know, I'm in my I'm in
my car and I'm driving on that driving my GPS
right now. I'm just waiting to get to my road map.
Speaker 4 (14:51):
I literally the stories are being written.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
You know.
Speaker 5 (14:54):
Some people may say, you know, this kid is crazy
and be and over his head, but your guys have
seen me in five years and and I'll tell you
where I'm at and tell.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Me you got to have it. You need the attitude
for sure.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Speaking of the growth, I mean, there's only one of you,
and we talked about how the passion is fueling the brand.
But as you get bigger, you know, how are you
going to keep that culture and that passion? Like you know,
there's never going to be anybody that's going to be
as excited about this brand as Derek Case.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
So where do we go from here?
Speaker 5 (15:23):
That's a good question. And I'm going to tell you
exactly how I'm doing it. So when you sit that
discovery day with me and you want a franchise, my
magic question is what can you bring to the table
other than your money?
Speaker 4 (15:33):
Everybody got money. I want to know.
Speaker 5 (15:35):
Where resource can you do to uplift my brand or
bring some type of you know, protocolt procedures. I don't
have something to uplift the young brand. You know, I'm
in an infant stage right now, and I know that
the pieces that I bring to the puzzle right now.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
Got to help me.
Speaker 5 (15:48):
So when they don't answer that question right, I just
pass on it, you know, and say, you know, it's
just not right now, it's not a good time because.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
Money isn't my driver. Opportunity and success is.
Speaker 5 (15:58):
And the only way that you can get there is
having good systems and protocols and having the white.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
People that believe and know.
Speaker 5 (16:03):
It's not going to be easy getting every franchisee to
believe the way I do. But I can tell you this,
when they are mult you in an operator and they
are already doing what they're doing now best, that would
be a good add on to my team of being
able to bring operational expertise to my system. And you know,
with the culture side of it, I think my story
is going to resonate to a lot of cultures. I'm
always going to be the face of the brand going
(16:25):
for it. And when I'm not the face of the
brand anymore, you can look at the Colonel Standers, He's
still living on after.
Speaker 4 (16:29):
You get and gone. So I'm literally creating that same model,
if that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
What okay, So you say, you ask them what can
they can bring the table when you think about growth
where you guys are heading, what are those cornerstones that
you feel the brand still needs to kind of say,
all right, we need to elevate that. Whether we need
a celebrity endorsement, we need some sort of integration into
certain regions of the markets. What is it that you're
(16:55):
looking for.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
I'm looking for experience operators, that's it. A lot of
brands need celebrities to push them. I became the own
celebrity for my own brand. I've been on multiple different covers,
I've been named and damn there anything you could think of.
I became that for my brand. I became that mascot
so big. Theaves don't need savior in that way. We
need operators that can implement my systems that being created
(17:20):
through my SOP manuals. I would like you to follow
my prime cost, my cogs, all those things that I
have in my FDD so that you can get your profit.
So other people want a franchise just like the franchise
that I pick. But the only way we're going to
get there is to pick people who have the operational experience.
You know, I would love to give franchises to a
new person and you know, can help them break their
(17:40):
generational curses.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
But right now, we're in the stage right now.
Speaker 5 (17:43):
Where we have to prove the model in the franchise system,
and that's picking the right pieces to the puzzle now.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
Later on, you know, I would like to create.
Speaker 5 (17:50):
A program that's going to be for first time franchisees
and we help them get operators and help them, you know,
with their life and their careers that they want to
move forward on. But right now, our focus is on
truly just getting those you know, those those QR space
giants that really believe in in the brand and believe
in fast casual understanding that we got something special, just
like what they already invested in before they heard about
(18:12):
Big Days.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
So some of your other franchises, do they also own
other restaurant brands or are they coming there like they're
selling those off and coming to you or are they
keeping are they keeping the other brands?
Speaker 4 (18:24):
A little bit of both.
Speaker 5 (18:26):
So I have a lot of potential franchises up the pipeline.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
Right now.
Speaker 5 (18:30):
All of them are once unit operators, a few of
them are industry giants, and I can't close these deals
to show that people you.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Know what I'm creating.
Speaker 6 (18:39):
But you know, we're playing a real game right now
of understanding what the model of the big Days want
to represent for the future, and what that looks like
is bringing up communities, hiring with them, bringing the right
general managers, because listen, you can have the right president,
(18:59):
the right CEO, the right founder.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
If their general managers aren't right to operate the boxes,
you won't be successful. And these are the things that
I found out in my early years. So like when
I tell you people are going to misread this book
that they're looking at because I've been studying so many
years on the operational experience of what I need to
learn to grow. It's going to be unmatched to what
we put out in this franchise new system that with
(19:22):
this dynamic of what we're building, like my new drive
through model that we're gonna put out is going to
be unmatched. Our franchisees that we bring into the systems
are going to feel like family versus just you know,
bringing on some.
Speaker 4 (19:35):
Profitability for their pockets.
Speaker 5 (19:36):
They're actually going to be happy about, you know, building
as soon to become legacy brand, and that's what I'm chasing.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
So you said the drive through, Like, can you talk
about that? What's different? I mean I see drive through everywhere.
Speaker 5 (19:47):
Yeah, So when we look at holistically, how I drive
through model looking fast schedule, it could bring it bring
in between fifty to sixty thousand a week and drive.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
Through model right now.
Speaker 5 (19:59):
You know what our AUV we're doing a big number
out of sixteen hundred square foot boxes, but we know
that we could implement this drop through model because of
the Mercedes Benz Stadium, so we're getting out maybe four
to five hundred sandwiches an hour in the Bend. So
it helped us fit this drop through model together soon
to come. Now it's going to have some tweaks and
(20:20):
some you know, some procedures that we still have to
work out, but right now on paper is looking really
good and I can't wait to build it. It's something
that I know that's gonna be the for the future
of Big Daves and it's going to help us be
a sandwich sector. It's going to help us in a
fast casual space. Like when you look at five guys
shake check any of those brands. They sell beef just
(20:43):
like I sell beef. And I know that we are
a sandwich sector, but I kind of think that we
get pitt in that Jersey Mike's, you know, type of
box as well. So we're just trying to corner all
of those markets to say, Okay, we're gonna run a
sandwich sector, but we're also gonna be champion in beef
sector also when it comes to burgers and fries and
(21:03):
all those things.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Yeah, you mentioned Jersey Mics.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
I remember at the top one hundred gallo when I
was on stage announcing you guys beat them, and I
looked over and You're cheering as.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
Loud as they were. We knew that they were. They
were behind you.
Speaker 4 (21:17):
On the list.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
That was super fun.
Speaker 4 (21:18):
Yeah, And I'll be honest.
Speaker 5 (21:20):
What made me feel good about that is so since
twenty fourteen, I never said that I was building a
multi million dollar business.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
I said I was building a billion dollar brand.
Speaker 5 (21:29):
Since twenty fourteen, I said I was building a global
brain and I was going to scale the franchise, and
a lot of people didn't understand that at the time,
but I always had that vision you know, the only
people that's great in life for the people who are
crazy inside their own mind, people are Creci.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
You're talking to me. Finally I got somebody that knows
what's happening.
Speaker 5 (21:49):
I have to psyche yourself to really believe that you
can do these things.
Speaker 4 (21:52):
And I'm the type of person.
Speaker 5 (21:54):
Once I hear somebody say that I can't do something,
or there's some conversations like this kid isn't over his
I'm going to show you that I'm not.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
And it's not the proof you're wrong, but it's because.
Speaker 5 (22:04):
I know I have the willpower to do it just
like other people do, and I know how to put
formations together.
Speaker 4 (22:09):
I know I can't do this all along. That's the
thing me.
Speaker 5 (22:12):
Derek Hayes is not trying to be the champion and
say that I build Big Daves and made this global conglamorate. No,
I'm building a team that's going to be a force
that's going to be hard to stop. And when you
build that team, like on my Tuesday calls, I got
you know, we're talking about operations, We're talking about marketing,
and we're talking about future. We're talking about what we need,
(22:34):
We're talking about what can we change. But all this
are different departments that speak in this and we all
bring it together so we stay in our lanes inside
of Big Daves. I'm not the operator. I'm the visionary.
I'm the person that make people want to come in
the doors. I'm the person that speaks for the brand.
I'm the person that makes sure that the quality of
what we're selling. This what I want to picture, what
(22:55):
I dreamed of. But I had to bring in those
operational pieces that have more experience than me, that done
the things that I haven't done, so I can learn.
If I'm the smartest person in the room, then I'm
hustling backwards right now, consistently learning, and sometimes I'm shocking
them off of what I learned because I study myself.
You know, I go online and I read, I read,
I look at tutorials, I look at whether it's interviews.
(23:18):
I like to look at Warren Buffett because he's the
most powerful man in the universe.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
That's frugal, I mean, because when you get.
Speaker 5 (23:24):
To a stayin level of finances and you got money
flowing in, you know, your residual income is pretty much endless.
A lot of things can get lost, and I think
what he's done has controlled things for so many years
of power.
Speaker 4 (23:39):
I mean he has more treasury builds in the United
States Treasury. So when you look at that power that
he created.
Speaker 5 (23:45):
You know, you can talk about the Warren Buffets, the
Elon Musk and all these people, but.
Speaker 4 (23:50):
Warren Buffett controls the government.
Speaker 5 (23:52):
When I say he chose the government, he can chose
the stockings change because when he pulls and he he turns,
it hurts the market.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
So he definitely drive it. That's for sure.
Speaker 5 (24:03):
I look at somebody that strong, I say, you know what,
that's the guy that I want to mirror, because everybody
else is stroking the other guy's ego because they might
be in the more of the press, more stories, but
you're looking behind the scenes and saying, who's really the
powerful in the country, And I think that man is
Warren Buffett.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
So I studied.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
One all this is timing wise. I think it's matching
up with kind of your appetite for growth here because
you look at the industry right now about fifty billion
in sales set to go to over eighty billion by
twenty thirty four. This is going to be a perfect
time for explosion. Share of when you look at the
brands that are emerging right now, because there seems to
(24:42):
be this golden age starting for fast casual again. When
you can almost double your potential revenue in a matter
of less than a decade away, that's pretty significant. Do
you feel like we're going to see more Chipotles that
might be the big days of the world.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
Yeah, I think so.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
I mean, the fast casual segment is always where that
growth comes from, that innovation.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
So for sure, for sure.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
It's crazy what I said.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
When you look at Dave's Hot Chicken, right, you in
a car and brand.
Speaker 5 (25:15):
They just did something in the last seven years that
a lot of brands have been doing the last thirty. Right,
I've been doing this for the last ten years and
more recognized than most most legacy brands right now.
Speaker 4 (25:26):
So a lot of that is being said is you
got social media. That's the one pill, right.
Speaker 5 (25:31):
It's audience is no more saying that I need CNN
or I need us say the day to post me.
It's like I have my direct audience on Instagram that
leaves of me and follows me.
Speaker 4 (25:41):
Right, that's one pill.
Speaker 5 (25:42):
Secondly, you've got the influence of the consumer that can
directly go online and snapping a story or put on TikTok, like,
hey man, this is an amazing brand. All those things
that exist fifteen and twenty years ago, so a lot
of the new even in sports, right you get these
young guys getting really big contry only because of the
influence that you can see personally outside of the professionalism.
(26:05):
So now we are not only buying your business, they're
buying you're yo, how you operate as a person. And
I think right now QSR is looking for something they
never seen before, and that's Derek Hayes.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
That's I like it. Well, that's listen. QSR is going
to be They're going to be running at it for sure,
because this is a category that they could possibly win
when you look at speed and throughput. But what surprised
me when I was looking at your Instagram is the
fact that you guys such a small brand right now
in terms of size, but yet three hundred and six
thousand followers on Instagram. That's significantly higher than most brands
(26:45):
your size. You know when you compare, so you you've
been able to do it. Do you feel like the
story that you're telling is what's resonating with customers, is
what is the attraction I'm selling hope?
Speaker 5 (26:58):
I mean, think we live we live in America, right,
And let's be clear, it's less than eight percent of
African Americans that own franchises or even the founder of
other franchise or even that's the QSR space. So a
lot of this is new to them. To see somebody
look like me and get in the space that don't
look like them express me to say, wow, myn that
(27:19):
owns the HOGI shop, she could do it too. So
I'm giving people a different type of dream, a different
type of hope, and I'm showing them guidance on how
to do it. And I just do it through you know,
being famous, of being popular. I'm actually backing it up
with the numbers and the right team to the puzzle
and making people feel confident and actually franchising from me,
(27:40):
somebody that hasn't been in the QRSR space for a
long time.
Speaker 4 (27:43):
And I think that's what it's resonating.
Speaker 5 (27:44):
But the biggest, the biggest thing of it all is
I think my confidence it keeps us scared people or
it makes someone.
Speaker 4 (27:52):
To do things right.
Speaker 5 (27:53):
So my thing is this, No, I'm not going to
get everybody. You know, it's it's no brand in the
world is going to be able to resonate to every
single person.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
But I want to resonate to the.
Speaker 5 (28:03):
People who got maybe who I am right now to
resonate to it.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Well, you got to, you got to. I like that
statement is that you're either going to scare them or
you're going to push them in the right direction to
become part of the family. And I think that's something
that a lot of founders have to do more of,
because to your point, you don't want to take everybody,
you know, a lot of people just look. I mean,
we've talked to so many founders on here about franchising,
(28:29):
and they're all about, yeah, I want multi unit. You know,
it's the typical, you know, packaged response. I I want
multi unit, I need money, they need experience, blah blah blah.
But if they don't believe in the vision, then that's
where it usually breaks down, because that's usually the first
problem with the franchisee not carrying through the mission of
(28:49):
the brand is when they don't believe in the vision.
I feel there for.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
Them, but he says that right like, I have a
million times a million different interviews. You know, they got
to believe in the vision. They got to believe in
the vision, but they're not. They say that, but then
they're still awarding franchises to who don't believe it.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Exactly, yeah, exactly know what it is.
Speaker 5 (29:09):
And Sean, I'm gonna tell you why they do that.
I'm gonna tell you exactly why.
Speaker 4 (29:12):
They do that.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
Because they like money.
Speaker 5 (29:14):
They they want money, but they also want to show
that their brand is still moving forward, right, Yeah, And
sometimes showing the brand is still consistently moving forward, it's
going to hurt you. It's just like a car with
a flat tire. You keep driving on, it going to
hit the rim and eventually they ain't gonna drive that up.
Speaker 4 (29:31):
Yes, And what a lot of people is.
Speaker 5 (29:32):
Doing they want to keep on signing franchisees and franchisees
on so they keep staying in the media. Yeah, it's
going to be a big driver, but it ain't gonna
keep you there. But it's going to keep you there, operators.
I would rather be a slow talking point and be
big later than to be a fast talking point to
be destroyed ladies.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
Yeah, now that's what I learned on early in my career.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
And media is like these brands that are like, we're
gonna have one hundred by you know, in seven years
from now, Well.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
How many do you have now?
Speaker 2 (30:01):
You know, Like I don't want to hear about the
five hundred and ten years because anybody can.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
Say that well and it's you know, I think Derek,
you've hit it on a lot of points in the
sense of, first of all, you're very grounded on how
you're going to grow. You have, you know, a super focused,
almost laser point vision, which I think has got to
be done more in the space because most of the
founders we talked to and guys, no disrespect to everybody
that's watching this show. You know me, I'll shoot you straight.
(30:28):
A lot of you guys come on this show and
you it's like a shotgun approach. It's everything you know,
as opposed to zeroing in on what makes a brand
a winner. And I think you.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
Listen shout out the work capital.
Speaker 5 (30:44):
So I had a chance, I had a chance just
to sit down with Roork right and before I walked
in at.
Speaker 4 (30:51):
Meeting, I mean, come on, I'm a small company. I'm
looking at a fifty billion out of company. You don't
usually don't even.
Speaker 5 (30:56):
Get a conversation from work this earlyer right conversation with
Paul from work, and I was just sitting down and
I said, you know, I was thinking I was about
to walk in this real judgmental meeting because they're so
big of an empire. But it was so special for
me because these guys were so authentic and so real
to the brand, like gave me my kudos on what
(31:18):
I was doing and not to try to steer you
from things that make you think you need to do
so much more, just doing the right thing. And I
think that's what we need to do. When you look
at Fast Casual in anything that you do, you got
guys that's on the highest high. You got new guys
coming in right. A lot of new guys are threat
cities older guys because they think that they're going to
take their their mojo that shine from them. You know,
(31:40):
it's scary, right. But what I seen from Work Capital
was like, you know what, we are the giants in
this industry, but we look for emerging brands like you
and can give you guidance. And that was special for
me to get that type of guidance from a company.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
That big, So it charged my battery. And when I
tell you this, when I.
Speaker 5 (31:57):
Walked out of that meeting, I walked out of there
with a level of confidence that nobody on planet Earth
cans there from me because now I know what I'm
going against with the national tenants and the market, and
I'll kicking in a good way.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
So I like it. Derek, We're going to roll into,
first of all, fantastic story. This is I think your
grodel is on point. I love the product in terms
of what I see. I got to go try it now.
The test is in the is in the round of
when you get to do the text. But we're going
to go into a rapid fire lightning route, which is
(32:33):
kind of where Share and I go back and forth
on some of your favorite things. You've mentioned a few.
I'll lead off. You know of your mentors in the space,
or at least the people that you think can help you,
taking small points from and then growing off of what
they've been able to do. Anybody in the restaurant spiece.
Obviously you mentioned Warren Buffett in the finance sector, but
(32:56):
what about the restaurant space. Anybody that you kind of say, hey,
this guy is the guy I want to follow, but
yet kind of one up on him.
Speaker 5 (33:05):
I love what uh or Raising Kaynes is doing right now.
I really, I really love what they represent as far
as like how they're always innovating inside of different markets,
whether there's sports like they always involved. So I like
that and I like to look at Big Daves that
way because we look at it. We like to look
at like a culturally relevant all the way around, not
(33:26):
just fast casual. I think Raising Kaynes does a really
good job at that.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
You should really meet with Todd. You should go meet
with Todd Graves now that you said that now, because
he's gonna probably he'll see it. Go get with Todd
Graves because that's a good pick's what he's doing.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
I mean.
Speaker 5 (33:46):
So And in Georgia where I live at, he just
fit winning a Stockbridge. I got a chance to, uh,
you know, see the grand opening, a lot of things
that I've been able to see what that brand has
been really resonating to what I'm trying to build for
Big Ditch.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Another brand, of course, is Dave's Side Chicken. Uh.
Speaker 5 (34:03):
Those families over there, Gary and the rest of the guys,
they have done a tremendous job with that brand. Really
really a lot of motivation coming from that side because
my brand is named Dave's and there's Dave, so that
it put that level of know no insight on that
I could do a two type of model. Also, I
want to talk about Ranny Rannie Juretti, that was CEO
(34:27):
of Shake Shack.
Speaker 4 (34:28):
He's no longer, but you know he was.
Speaker 5 (34:30):
He was a person in my early days from a
high level that I would get conversations, you know, really
good conversations with on how to scale the brand. Well,
most of all, Jesse Bray, my president, Big Dave Cheas Sticks.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
He has gave me.
Speaker 5 (34:47):
A level of education and fast casual that a lot
of people probably wouldn't have gave me because because he
on gate keyp he wanted me to learn it. And
also Swell Swells bring and a level expertise to the brand,
having you know, several Dunkins, several Little Caesars, several days
high Chicken. And now that's bringing a person that's already
(35:09):
kind of been in the game before you at a
stage where you're growing in and say hey, we need
to do it this because I've been doing it down
for twenty plus years and I got teamers that have
been doing the thirty plus years. Like mo he ran
a couple of Taco Max So all of my corporate
team right now has more experience from a restaurant space
side than I do. But for me, what I'm doing
for them is I'm giving them a level of culture
(35:31):
side of believing and we can do it and how
we can do it, and they never seen that before.
So we're putting that that love marriage together and we
just created this tornado Like.
Speaker 1 (35:44):
Yeah, it was like that should be the title of
this podcast, Tornado Chicken.
Speaker 4 (35:50):
I love it, Dames, But but I wouldn't. I wouldn't.
Speaker 5 (35:57):
I wouldn't be one hundred percent because I want to
answer your question all the way of thinking.
Speaker 4 (36:01):
I want to be one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
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Speaker 2 (37:41):
So, Derek, we're talking about mentors and I must say,
what about your wife, Pinky Cole?
Speaker 3 (37:46):
You better give her some love here.
Speaker 5 (37:48):
My wife has been one of the biggest case studies
and motivators and whatever you can you can think of
that it is for me because I've been able to
see her leave the state before I left the state.
I've seen her open up multi more locations before I
opened up multiple locations, So it was a case study
for me.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
My last question is I want to know what you're
listening to. Paul and I are are big music fans.
So what's the song of the summer for.
Speaker 1 (38:16):
Dave's proud of me?
Speaker 4 (38:17):
Actually, that's what, okay, proud of it's.
Speaker 5 (38:20):
The name of the song where he's talking about you
know the things on you know, how how they missed
their father and the things. You know, just certain things
that if you lost your father would resonate to you.
I keep that on replaying the car because my dad
is my biggest motivation. I don't think anything outside of
life will ever change for me that way because my
father was my best friend. He was the person other
(38:41):
than God that I looked up to, and I always
wanted to make him proud, and I always want to
make them happy.
Speaker 4 (38:46):
And right now I know my dad is looking down
and like you're doing it. We almost there.
Speaker 5 (38:50):
But the moment I really get there, I'm really going
to really probably I cry some days, but I'm probally
gonna probably gonna drop a whole lot on them, because
you know how you know you get do something, you're
just waiting for it to happen. I know I got
something special.
Speaker 4 (39:04):
I know my food is unmatched, my customer.
Speaker 5 (39:06):
Service, the things I worked on when it comes to EBA,
I getting all of my numbers together. My brand is
ready to take over the world. And for the ten
years of me busting my butt building this, just putting
the right team together, we are officially ready to take over.
Speaker 4 (39:22):
And I can't wait till Worrell see what we got working.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
I want you to listen. I don't know if you
know Sam Tenas, uh the h but I want you
to go listen to a one song by Sam Tenas
and it's called A Legends Are Made. Just go listen
to that.
Speaker 4 (39:39):
After listen to it, Sam.
Speaker 1 (39:44):
Man, Legends are made?
Speaker 5 (39:46):
All right? Hey, listen, you know A Paul, listen, check
this out right. So I'm an impact person, real energy.
So for one, Cheryl, I want to say to you,
you are a special individual because what you're but you
resonate to on what you're doing for people just in general,
You're always gonna be blessed to that because you're looking
(40:07):
at the body of work and not the person. And
I think a lot of people need to look at
the body of not the person because a lot of
the things that I've done in my career and a
lot of things that i'm doing what I already have
been on a global standpoint if I came from a
different background. But I'm not gonna make that the excuse.
I'm gonna make that the motivation. I'm gonna make that
the motivator for me and the other people that's watching.
(40:28):
And so you know, for me, it's not the money
driver when I'm dating going I want kids to read
about me in history book. That's my driver. I want
my name to live on. I want me to forever
be thought about. Just how I can think about Martin
du King, Malcolm X or any other Greefs that come
from my culture.
Speaker 1 (40:44):
I like it. Man, Congrats to everything you're doing for sure. Listen,
it has been great having you on the show. We
appreciate you coming in very much.
Speaker 4 (40:55):
Thanks a lot, man, Oh, thank you guys for having me.
Speaker 1 (40:58):
All Right, Derek, we'll see you as soon. All right.
What a great uh, what a great interview. I love
it the fact that we had Derek coming on. A
fantastic story too. I wish we had so many more
of these.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
I know, I'm punk.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
I just want to be like, whoo, let's go, let's
punker the day ready, I think speak too man like.
I ment it like if I had money, I'd be investing.
Take my money, big, big, my money.
Speaker 1 (41:29):
I love it. All right, you guys if you are
not uh, first of all, if you know, subscribe to
the podcast. Guess what. We are now available on YouTube music.
We are available over on Spotify. Of course. You can
catch us on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, all those on the
audio side. If you want to catch us on, of course,
the YouTube side, just go over and search saber FM.
You'll find the show and many more over there as well.
(41:50):
We are now the number one podcast in all sectors
of the industry, and I'm talking about every platform out there.
When it comes to the Fast Casual category. So it's
only because of you guys that are listening and watching,
so thank you so much for being a great fan
of the show and we love it. Hopefully this is
(42:11):
Major day a little bit better and we will catch
you next time right here on Fast Casual Nation.
We are back here on of course, Fast Casual Nation,
the podcast that started it all. You guys, we have
good a good one for you today. It is going
to be a rock star episode. Joining me is my
co host, Miss Shay Canceler. How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
I am great, good morning. It is a hot one
here in Kansas City, so trying to stay cool.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
How about you, Paul.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Hey, I'm just living the dream. Baby, live in the dream.
As they say, Hey, listen, we've got a big one.
We've got the founder and CEO of Big Daves Cheese
Steaks coming out of Philly joining us today is going
to be a good one. We'll get into all that
good stuff. This is going to be the topic of
what we have now called the Cheese Steak Chronicles. It's
(00:41):
a story you don't want to miss. We will be
right back, so stick around. My name is Paul Baron.
(01:08):
As the early pioneer in fast casual I've seen the
industry evolve from just a few operators to the most
sought after segment by consumers around the world. Now we're
planning to shape its future. Tap into decades of my
expertise identifying the emerging brands and tech winners in the
space Saber Capital, we'll be fueling the next generation of
(01:33):
fast casual innovation. All right, we're back here on Fast
Casual Nation, guys, and we're going to get into it.
Today's share. Our first thing I want to hit on
is a couple of news stories over on fastcasual dot com.
What is going on in the chill and nitrogen ice
cream space? What is this? What is this?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
So this is just a very cool fast casual brand,
Delicious ice Cream. But what we have an interview with
them today about local sourcing. So you know, it's a
national brand and instead of just doing the whole national
Cisco thing, he is really obsessed with making all the
locations use local dairy farms. So even though they do
(02:14):
have a natural distributor with Cisco, they can you know,
get them in with them with the whole local state
so they can have transparent story. It builds loyalty, So
you might want to check that out. He wrote this
commentary about kind of his strategy behind it.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
So listen this this is a good I like this
kind of product because as we start to see nitrogen,
because there's there's a brand, it's a competing brand that's
here in our local town that is doing this, and
I tried the product not too long ago, and I
was pretty impressed. I mean, first of all, the consistency
(02:50):
of it is very gelato like, so it's not like
a hard ice cream. It has that kind of smoothie
silky like a gelato does. That could win over some
yeah consumers.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Well, and their brand is like, you know their competitors,
he says, you know our competitors. You can mix the
milk from all different kinds of fairy farms and stuff,
but I don't know, they.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Don't do that.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
They don't do that. Well, that's pick to the state.
So it's interesting literally know exactly what's in it. So
his customers really like that. They feel transparent.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
So I love it all right, listen, I'm going to
join this Hot Dad calendar.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
This is my favorite story of the week. Finally, men
are like the week this week instead of women. But
this is habit for a fast casual brand out It's Texas.
They have partnered with the UFC GYM to create a
Hot Dad calendar to roll out their salads.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
So if you scroll down a.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Little bit, you could see like they have titles and
the one I love sadly kind of love is somebody
is named mister Side Salad.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
So there's mister I don't mister Side. There was Zach
Zewers from La coming in and as mister Side Salad.
You know, I like it. And then you got mister
Harvest chopped.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
Yeah, I think.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
A lot better than Side Salad.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
He's like too funny. Hey, listen, you know some of
these brands, they got to do stuff like this, you know,
to stay in the news. And of course it worked
for Habit Burgers.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
So yeah, well we'll have to be mister fast casual salad.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
There you go. Yeah right, it would be I don't
know what it would be. I have to come up
with a menu concept on that one. Hey, listen. Joining
us today is mister Derek Hayes, who is the CEO
of none other than Big Daves Cheese Days. Hey Derek,
how are you?
Speaker 4 (04:46):
How you doing? Thank you guys for having me.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Yeah, man, this is gonna be fun. We're going to
get into it. If this is your I don't know
if you probably have doing podcast all over the.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
Place, watching I do a couple of these a week.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
I'm watching you and you're blowing up out there. So
I'm very I'm very proud of what you guys are doing.
Tell us the story, get into just kind of the
origin story of Big Daves and really what kind of
got you going?
Speaker 4 (05:12):
Well.
Speaker 5 (05:12):
First off, I dedicated Big Daves to my father. He
passed away from lung cancer in two thousand and nine.
I'm from West Philadelphia, barn and raised just like Will Smith.
I got sent off to Athens, Georgia in two thousand
and two just to kind of, you know, get a
different scenery. My parents went to me to you know,
(05:33):
not being in the inner.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
City of Philadelphia. I had too much time on my hands.
Speaker 5 (05:36):
I played basketball growing up, and needless to say, I
really stayed in Athens until I got into the twelfth grade.
Who was keeping me focused? She passed away and I
went back to Philly. And when I went back to Philadelphia,
I had more than enough credits to graduate from high school.
So I was on going to school for half a
day and the rest just was just free time of
(05:56):
me just getting in trouble. So I got caught like
kind of you know, put in that trap, that box
that I didn't want to be pitting a lot of people,
was you know, kind of upset that I didn't make
it in basketball because I went so hard in it.
But in two thousand and nine, when my father got
diingos with cancer, we just.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Thought he had a bad cold.
Speaker 5 (06:15):
I remember the day I was riding the car with
him and he looked over at me and it was
just like this look that he was really like worried,
and I wanted to be there for him. And at
the time, I was working in the Postal Service. I
was a mail handler. So basketball didn't work. But I
had got a career job where I said, you know,
I got a good government job where I could retire.
I was doing really good, been there four years, never
(06:35):
missed the day. And one day I went to my
manager and asked him, can I get time off to
be there with my father, you know, fighting his cancer
storm with him.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
And he said, you know, it's the holiday. I can't
give you time off.
Speaker 5 (06:47):
I said, well, you know what, I can get another job.
I ain't get another father.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
I'm out.
Speaker 5 (06:51):
So my mind getting in my Buick concern and driving
all the way to Atlanta, Georgia, where my dad was
treating at an Emma University, and for about six months
of me just you know, in a hospital room with
him not going home.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
I got to learn my dad in a different way.
Speaker 5 (07:08):
You know, a lot of people don't understand, you know,
when your hair on, you know, earth and everything is
good and everybody's smiling. Some commerce aren't as intense because
it's not life threatening. So before my dad passed, I
had an opportunity to talk to him and I made
him a promise.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
I said that, you know, he raised me to stand
on my ten toes.
Speaker 5 (07:27):
I was going to break the generational curses and he
know I could do it and he believed in me.
And look where I'm at today, you know, just seeing
all of these roller coaster rise, these obstacles, me starting
a little shell gas stations I done with in Georgia
on the three foot gril, broken fire and a lot
of people saying you too far outside the city. Nobody's
going to support it. But one thing people will support
(07:49):
is a good story and good food. Yeah, and something
that represents, you know, America. And I felt like I
had something that wasn't just a black owned brand. I
had a people's brand. I had a brand that represented
just like when McDonald's came out or Chick fil A,
any of those brands, so I wanted people to understand
what I was selling.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
Yeah, and it was just a great story and a
really really damn bit sandwich.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
I love it. Man. My father has a righteous son.
Speaker 5 (08:16):
Yeah, joyces and I mean the goal was honestly you
know too. I used to say, you know, these blue
signs on all the exes. I wanted to make my
dad's names live on, just like how McDonald's all blue signs.
Myles I said, one day I'll have my kids and
we'll be just driving around, whether we in Minnesota, Arkansas,
whatever state that we drive past, we can jump into
(08:36):
a big day cheese steaks and say, you know, look
what I created there.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
It all came from that.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Yeah, it all created from that.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
I love it. Well, listen to the industry, uh touching
right now. You compare it to what's happening in QSR.
Fast casual continues to grow. Obviously, this is a unique
category cheese steaks. You know, Yes, I'm so okay. One
of my favorite movie's Creed two. You know when you
go in and I'm trying to remember Juan, is that
(09:06):
what they is? Juan John the Philly the Philly name
where they just call everything.
Speaker 5 (09:13):
John ain't going oh Joe in the dictionary.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Now, Oh my god, I love it. I did not
know that learning that about the cheese steaks.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
You brought that up because a lot of people don't
know that. I could be like, you know.
Speaker 5 (09:27):
That Joan is fire or that good, Like what is
he talking about?
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Hey, I had to learn that through Creed, so I
had no idea what it was.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
That's the famous Philly word for sure.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
That's cool. So obviously Philly known for cheeseteakes. I've been
there many times, have had some, I think some of
the best. I haven't had yours. So the jury is
still out. I got to get down there now and
Dames das all right. So okay, so you guys have
I mean the origin story first of all, great origin story.
I think this is something that we need more of
(10:00):
in the space as you grow and you start to build.
Right now, I know you're kind of assembling the team.
What is like the big challenge for you guys today
on you know this next step for you?
Speaker 4 (10:16):
Good question.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
Well, I would say in the last past ten years ran,
but for the last three years it's been a reding
company because of the choices I've made to hire the
right pieces that had more experience than me.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
So I bought in a president Jesse Bray.
Speaker 5 (10:35):
I brung in a diftrict operator, Mocanti.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
I just now I want a class for Suel Mide.
Speaker 5 (10:44):
I just brung sewell and as my franchise advisor really
just like a company advisor.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
He's been really.
Speaker 5 (10:51):
Good with me, give me good advice, schooling me on
fast casual. But when I tell you, uh, I got
a team and we're ready for We're ready for whatever
word come for us. I got the nineteen ninety five
Bulls team right now. It will be the highest fast
casual brand in the country.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
All right, Well then who is pipping? Who is pipping?
Speaker 5 (11:12):
Hey man, I'm gonna get pipping to my team. It
ain't one person. When I passed the body, all can deliver.
So I do you know what with my company?
Speaker 4 (11:18):
Is me? And is them?
Speaker 3 (11:19):
And are how many? How many stores do you have
right now? And what's kind of the game plan?
Speaker 5 (11:25):
So I have seven open, I have fifteen franchise locations.
I franchised to the press PEPSI president. His name is
Derek Lewis. As soon as he retired, he bought ten
Central Florida. So we're building out that market. Right now,
I'm the official chief Steak Orlando Magic. I'm in Camping
(11:45):
World Stadium where they hold the Florida Classics. I just
got in another college arena. I'm about to make the
press releases.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
We'll go. Did you drop it now?
Speaker 4 (11:55):
I'm dropping on y'all now UCF. I just got in
there around.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Florida, another Florida.
Speaker 5 (12:05):
And right now I'm just really happy because you know,
I really know that I deserve all the opportunity that
I'm getting right now. My background is a little different.
I don't look like the average CEO. I don't have
the background a lot of CEOs having a multimillion dollar
company coming from Fast Casual, So I know it could
be a little scary for Fast Casual, But I can
tell you this, I'm going to disrupt this market more
(12:26):
than it's ever been disrupted. I'm going to leave this
market more than it's ever been leaded because my story
is going to resonate not just nationally but globally to
kids around the country that look like me and don't
look like me, that want that second chance, that want
that chance to show who they are, And right now,
for Fast Casual selecting me at number six, I'm already
done something that's never been done. So it's now opening
(12:47):
doors to say that I could do it too. And
that's what I've always been about me with my brain.
It's about not just uplifting myself and what I'm selling,
but people around me and people that's watching. And I
think right now, Fast Casual it's nothing tangible to what
I'm doing, right.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Yeah, Well you hit on something here. I think I
wish more Fast Casual operators had this passion, you know,
because this this industry when it first really started going
in the mid nineties to the early two thousands, you know,
every operator that I met, that was the one thing
that I could always point to and say, that's why
this sector is going to explode. It's this, It's this
(13:24):
X factor of passion that I've never seen anywhere else
except this one spot. And it hasn't been replicated in
any other sector. Casual dining hasn't replicated it, QSR hasn't
Fine dining, definitely not. It is its its own uniqueness.
So I think you're definitely going to bring some some
power to the to the player zone. So I'm glad
(13:46):
to have, you guys.
Speaker 5 (13:47):
Here, it's really like I got It's really like I
got something to prove in a positive way.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
You know. It's not like this. I want to stroke
my own ego all day.
Speaker 5 (13:54):
But I also know what I had, and I know
it's a lot of brains that get the kudos and
the plats and all of that and because of the
relationships they have and the power resource they have.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
But now Derek Hay's getting that. So now they about
to see what I can do.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Yeah, listen, man, you need a chip on your shoulder
to make it. You gotta have one. Gotta have one. Yeah,
I got one.
Speaker 5 (14:16):
The reason why and the reason why I had one
is because, you know, it's like the Rocky move. You know,
you mentioned, uh you mentioned. Let's talk about you know,
Philly when it comes to that. I watched people get
knocked down. I watch myself get knocked down. I watched setters,
I watch motivators. I watch all these people throughout the
years of my life. But I also see a lot
(14:36):
of them take their hands off the wheel or get
stagging it when they get to a certain point. I
know my mission and where I'm trying to get to,
so It's like, you know, I'm in my I'm in
my car and I'm driving on that driving my GPS
right now. I'm just waiting to get to my road map.
Speaker 4 (14:51):
I literally the stories are being written.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
You know.
Speaker 5 (14:54):
Some people may say, you know, this kid is crazy
and be and over his head, but your guys have
seen me in five years and and I'll tell you
where I'm at and tell.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Me you got to have it. You need the attitude
for sure.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Speaking of the growth, I mean, there's only one of you,
and we talked about how the passion is fueling the brand.
But as you get bigger, you know, how are you
going to keep that culture and that passion? Like you know,
there's never going to be anybody that's going to be
as excited about this brand as Derek Case.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
So where do we go from here?
Speaker 5 (15:23):
That's a good question. And I'm going to tell you
exactly how I'm doing it. So when you sit that
discovery day with me and you want a franchise, my
magic question is what can you bring to the table
other than your money?
Speaker 4 (15:33):
Everybody got money. I want to know.
Speaker 5 (15:35):
Where resource can you do to uplift my brand or
bring some type of you know, protocolt procedures. I don't
have something to uplift the young brand. You know, I'm
in an infant stage right now, and I know that
the pieces that I bring to the puzzle right now.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
Got to help me.
Speaker 5 (15:48):
So when they don't answer that question right, I just
pass on it, you know, and say, you know, it's
just not right now, it's not a good time because.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
Money isn't my driver. Opportunity and success is.
Speaker 5 (15:58):
And the only way that you can get there is
having good systems and protocols and having the white.
Speaker 4 (16:02):
People that believe and know.
Speaker 5 (16:03):
It's not going to be easy getting every franchisee to
believe the way I do. But I can tell you this,
when they are mult you in an operator and they
are already doing what they're doing now best, that would
be a good add on to my team of being
able to bring operational expertise to my system. And you know,
with the culture side of it, I think my story
is going to resonate to a lot of cultures. I'm
always going to be the face of the brand going
(16:25):
for it. And when I'm not the face of the
brand anymore, you can look at the Colonel Standers, He's
still living on after.
Speaker 4 (16:29):
You get and gone. So I'm literally creating that same model,
if that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
What okay, So you say, you ask them what can
they can bring the table when you think about growth
where you guys are heading, what are those cornerstones that
you feel the brand still needs to kind of say,
all right, we need to elevate that. Whether we need
a celebrity endorsement, we need some sort of integration into
certain regions of the markets. What is it that you're
(16:55):
looking for.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
I'm looking for experience operators, that's it. A lot of
brands need celebrities to push them. I became the own
celebrity for my own brand. I've been on multiple different covers,
I've been named and damn there anything you could think of.
I became that for my brand. I became that mascot
so big. Theaves don't need savior in that way. We
need operators that can implement my systems that being created
(17:20):
through my SOP manuals. I would like you to follow
my prime cost, my cogs, all those things that I
have in my FDD so that you can get your profit.
So other people want a franchise just like the franchise
that I pick. But the only way we're going to
get there is to pick people who have the operational experience.
You know, I would love to give franchises to a
new person and you know, can help them break their
(17:40):
generational curses.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
But right now, we're in the stage right now.
Speaker 5 (17:43):
Where we have to prove the model in the franchise system,
and that's picking the right pieces to the puzzle now.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
Later on, you know, I would like to create.
Speaker 5 (17:50):
A program that's going to be for first time franchisees
and we help them get operators and help them, you know,
with their life and their careers that they want to
move forward on. But right now, our focus is on
truly just getting those you know, those those QR space
giants that really believe in in the brand and believe
in fast casual understanding that we got something special, just
like what they already invested in before they heard about
(18:12):
Big Days.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
So some of your other franchises, do they also own
other restaurant brands or are they coming there like they're
selling those off and coming to you or are they
keeping are they keeping the other brands?
Speaker 4 (18:24):
A little bit of both.
Speaker 5 (18:26):
So I have a lot of potential franchises up the pipeline.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
Right now.
Speaker 5 (18:30):
All of them are once unit operators, a few of
them are industry giants, and I can't close these deals
to show that people you.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Know what I'm creating.
Speaker 6 (18:39):
But you know, we're playing a real game right now
of understanding what the model of the big Days want
to represent for the future, and what that looks like
is bringing up communities, hiring with them, bringing the right
general managers, because listen, you can have the right president,
(18:59):
the right CEO, the right founder.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
If their general managers aren't right to operate the boxes,
you won't be successful. And these are the things that
I found out in my early years. So like when
I tell you people are going to misread this book
that they're looking at because I've been studying so many
years on the operational experience of what I need to
learn to grow. It's going to be unmatched to what
we put out in this franchise new system that with
(19:22):
this dynamic of what we're building, like my new drive
through model that we're gonna put out is going to
be unmatched. Our franchisees that we bring into the systems
are going to feel like family versus just you know,
bringing on some.
Speaker 4 (19:35):
Profitability for their pockets.
Speaker 5 (19:36):
They're actually going to be happy about, you know, building
as soon to become legacy brand, and that's what I'm chasing.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
So you said the drive through, Like, can you talk
about that? What's different? I mean I see drive through everywhere.
Speaker 5 (19:47):
Yeah, So when we look at holistically, how I drive
through model looking fast schedule, it could bring it bring
in between fifty to sixty thousand a week and drive.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
Through model right now.
Speaker 5 (19:59):
You know what our AUV we're doing a big number
out of sixteen hundred square foot boxes, but we know
that we could implement this drop through model because of
the Mercedes Benz Stadium, so we're getting out maybe four
to five hundred sandwiches an hour in the Bend. So
it helped us fit this drop through model together soon
to come. Now it's going to have some tweaks and
(20:20):
some you know, some procedures that we still have to
work out, but right now on paper is looking really
good and I can't wait to build it. It's something
that I know that's gonna be the for the future
of Big Daves and it's going to help us be
a sandwich sector. It's going to help us in a
fast casual space. Like when you look at five guys
shake check any of those brands. They sell beef just
(20:43):
like I sell beef. And I know that we are
a sandwich sector, but I kind of think that we
get pitt in that Jersey Mike's, you know, type of
box as well. So we're just trying to corner all
of those markets to say, Okay, we're gonna run a
sandwich sector, but we're also gonna be champion in beef
sector also when it comes to burgers and fries and
(21:03):
all those things.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Yeah, you mentioned Jersey Mics.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
I remember at the top one hundred gallo when I
was on stage announcing you guys beat them, and I
looked over and You're cheering as.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
Loud as they were. We knew that they were. They
were behind you.
Speaker 4 (21:17):
On the list.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
That was super fun.
Speaker 4 (21:18):
Yeah, And I'll be honest.
Speaker 5 (21:20):
What made me feel good about that is so since
twenty fourteen, I never said that I was building a
multi million dollar business.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
I said I was building a billion dollar brand.
Speaker 5 (21:29):
Since twenty fourteen, I said I was building a global
brain and I was going to scale the franchise, and
a lot of people didn't understand that at the time,
but I always had that vision you know, the only
people that's great in life for the people who are
crazy inside their own mind, people are Creci.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
You're talking to me. Finally I got somebody that knows
what's happening.
Speaker 5 (21:49):
I have to psyche yourself to really believe that you
can do these things.
Speaker 4 (21:52):
And I'm the type of person.
Speaker 5 (21:54):
Once I hear somebody say that I can't do something,
or there's some conversations like this kid isn't over his
I'm going to show you that I'm not.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
And it's not the proof you're wrong, but it's because.
Speaker 5 (22:04):
I know I have the willpower to do it just
like other people do, and I know how to put
formations together.
Speaker 4 (22:09):
I know I can't do this all along. That's the
thing me.
Speaker 5 (22:12):
Derek Hayes is not trying to be the champion and
say that I build Big Daves and made this global conglamorate. No,
I'm building a team that's going to be a force
that's going to be hard to stop. And when you
build that team, like on my Tuesday calls, I got
you know, we're talking about operations, We're talking about marketing,
and we're talking about future. We're talking about what we need,
(22:34):
We're talking about what can we change. But all this
are different departments that speak in this and we all
bring it together so we stay in our lanes inside
of Big Daves. I'm not the operator. I'm the visionary.
I'm the person that make people want to come in
the doors. I'm the person that speaks for the brand.
I'm the person that makes sure that the quality of
what we're selling. This what I want to picture, what
(22:55):
I dreamed of. But I had to bring in those
operational pieces that have more experience than me, that done
the things that I haven't done, so I can learn.
If I'm the smartest person in the room, then I'm
hustling backwards right now, consistently learning, and sometimes I'm shocking
them off of what I learned because I study myself.
You know, I go online and I read, I read,
I look at tutorials, I look at whether it's interviews.
(23:18):
I like to look at Warren Buffett because he's the
most powerful man in the universe.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
That's frugal, I mean, because when you get.
Speaker 5 (23:24):
To a stayin level of finances and you got money
flowing in, you know, your residual income is pretty much endless.
A lot of things can get lost, and I think
what he's done has controlled things for so many years
of power.
Speaker 4 (23:39):
I mean he has more treasury builds in the United
States Treasury. So when you look at that power that
he created.
Speaker 5 (23:45):
You know, you can talk about the Warren Buffets, the
Elon Musk and all these people, but.
Speaker 4 (23:50):
Warren Buffett controls the government.
Speaker 5 (23:52):
When I say he chose the government, he can chose
the stockings change because when he pulls and he he turns,
it hurts the market.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
So he definitely drive it. That's for sure.
Speaker 5 (24:03):
I look at somebody that strong, I say, you know what,
that's the guy that I want to mirror, because everybody
else is stroking the other guy's ego because they might
be in the more of the press, more stories, but
you're looking behind the scenes and saying, who's really the
powerful in the country, And I think that man is
Warren Buffett.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
So I studied.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
One all this is timing wise. I think it's matching
up with kind of your appetite for growth here because
you look at the industry right now about fifty billion
in sales set to go to over eighty billion by
twenty thirty four. This is going to be a perfect
time for explosion. Share of when you look at the
brands that are emerging right now, because there seems to
(24:42):
be this golden age starting for fast casual again. When
you can almost double your potential revenue in a matter
of less than a decade away, that's pretty significant. Do
you feel like we're going to see more Chipotles that
might be the big days of the world.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
Yeah, I think so.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
I mean, the fast casual segment is always where that
growth comes from, that innovation.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
So for sure, for sure.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
It's crazy what I said.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
When you look at Dave's Hot Chicken, right, you in
a car and brand.
Speaker 5 (25:15):
They just did something in the last seven years that
a lot of brands have been doing the last thirty. Right,
I've been doing this for the last ten years and
more recognized than most most legacy brands right now.
Speaker 4 (25:26):
So a lot of that is being said is you
got social media. That's the one pill, right.
Speaker 5 (25:31):
It's audience is no more saying that I need CNN
or I need us say the day to post me.
It's like I have my direct audience on Instagram that
leaves of me and follows me.
Speaker 4 (25:41):
Right, that's one pill.
Speaker 5 (25:42):
Secondly, you've got the influence of the consumer that can
directly go online and snapping a story or put on TikTok, like,
hey man, this is an amazing brand. All those things
that exist fifteen and twenty years ago, so a lot
of the new even in sports, right you get these
young guys getting really big contry only because of the
influence that you can see personally outside of the professionalism.
(26:05):
So now we are not only buying your business, they're
buying you're yo, how you operate as a person. And
I think right now QSR is looking for something they
never seen before, and that's Derek Hayes.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
That's I like it. Well, that's listen. QSR is going
to be They're going to be running at it for sure,
because this is a category that they could possibly win
when you look at speed and throughput. But what surprised
me when I was looking at your Instagram is the
fact that you guys such a small brand right now
in terms of size, but yet three hundred and six
thousand followers on Instagram. That's significantly higher than most brands
(26:45):
your size. You know when you compare, so you you've
been able to do it. Do you feel like the
story that you're telling is what's resonating with customers, is
what is the attraction I'm selling hope?
Speaker 5 (26:58):
I mean, think we live we live in America, right,
And let's be clear, it's less than eight percent of
African Americans that own franchises or even the founder of
other franchise or even that's the QSR space. So a
lot of this is new to them. To see somebody
look like me and get in the space that don't
look like them express me to say, wow, myn that
(27:19):
owns the HOGI shop, she could do it too. So
I'm giving people a different type of dream, a different
type of hope, and I'm showing them guidance on how
to do it. And I just do it through you know,
being famous, of being popular. I'm actually backing it up
with the numbers and the right team to the puzzle
and making people feel confident and actually franchising from me,
(27:40):
somebody that hasn't been in the QRSR space for a
long time.
Speaker 4 (27:43):
And I think that's what it's resonating.
Speaker 5 (27:44):
But the biggest, the biggest thing of it all is
I think my confidence it keeps us scared people or
it makes someone.
Speaker 4 (27:52):
To do things right.
Speaker 5 (27:53):
So my thing is this, No, I'm not going to
get everybody. You know, it's it's no brand in the
world is going to be able to resonate to every
single person.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
But I want to resonate to the.
Speaker 5 (28:03):
People who got maybe who I am right now to
resonate to it.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
Well, you got to, you got to. I like that
statement is that you're either going to scare them or
you're going to push them in the right direction to
become part of the family. And I think that's something
that a lot of founders have to do more of,
because to your point, you don't want to take everybody,
you know, a lot of people just look. I mean,
we've talked to so many founders on here about franchising,
(28:29):
and they're all about, yeah, I want multi unit. You know,
it's the typical, you know, packaged response. I I want
multi unit, I need money, they need experience, blah blah blah.
But if they don't believe in the vision, then that's
where it usually breaks down, because that's usually the first
problem with the franchisee not carrying through the mission of
(28:49):
the brand is when they don't believe in the vision.
I feel there for.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
Them, but he says that right like, I have a
million times a million different interviews. You know, they got
to believe in the vision. They got to believe in
the vision, but they're not. They say that, but then
they're still awarding franchises to who don't believe it.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Exactly, yeah, exactly know what it is.
Speaker 5 (29:09):
And Sean, I'm gonna tell you why they do that.
I'm gonna tell you exactly why.
Speaker 4 (29:12):
They do that.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
Because they like money.
Speaker 5 (29:14):
They they want money, but they also want to show
that their brand is still moving forward, right, Yeah, And
sometimes showing the brand is still consistently moving forward, it's
going to hurt you. It's just like a car with
a flat tire. You keep driving on, it going to
hit the rim and eventually they ain't gonna drive that up.
Speaker 4 (29:31):
Yes, And what a lot of people is.
Speaker 5 (29:32):
Doing they want to keep on signing franchisees and franchisees
on so they keep staying in the media. Yeah, it's
going to be a big driver, but it ain't gonna
keep you there. But it's going to keep you there, operators.
I would rather be a slow talking point and be
big later than to be a fast talking point to
be destroyed ladies.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
Yeah, now that's what I learned on early in my career.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
And media is like these brands that are like, we're
gonna have one hundred by you know, in seven years
from now, Well.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
How many do you have now?
Speaker 2 (30:01):
You know, Like I don't want to hear about the
five hundred and ten years because anybody can.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
Say that well and it's you know, I think Derek,
you've hit it on a lot of points in the
sense of, first of all, you're very grounded on how
you're going to grow. You have, you know, a super focused,
almost laser point vision, which I think has got to
be done more in the space because most of the
founders we talked to and guys, no disrespect to everybody
that's watching this show. You know me, I'll shoot you straight.
(30:28):
A lot of you guys come on this show and
you it's like a shotgun approach. It's everything you know,
as opposed to zeroing in on what makes a brand
a winner. And I think you.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
Listen shout out the work capital.
Speaker 5 (30:44):
So I had a chance, I had a chance just
to sit down with Roork right and before I walked
in at.
Speaker 4 (30:51):
Meeting, I mean, come on, I'm a small company. I'm
looking at a fifty billion out of company. You don't
usually don't even.
Speaker 5 (30:56):
Get a conversation from work this earlyer right conversation with
Paul from work, and I was just sitting down and
I said, you know, I was thinking I was about
to walk in this real judgmental meeting because they're so
big of an empire. But it was so special for
me because these guys were so authentic and so real
to the brand, like gave me my kudos on what
(31:18):
I was doing and not to try to steer you
from things that make you think you need to do
so much more, just doing the right thing. And I
think that's what we need to do. When you look
at Fast Casual in anything that you do, you got
guys that's on the highest high. You got new guys
coming in right. A lot of new guys are threat
cities older guys because they think that they're going to
take their their mojo that shine from them. You know,
(31:40):
it's scary, right. But what I seen from Work Capital
was like, you know what, we are the giants in
this industry, but we look for emerging brands like you
and can give you guidance. And that was special for
me to get that type of guidance from a company.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
That big, So it charged my battery. And when I
tell you this, when I.
Speaker 5 (31:57):
Walked out of that meeting, I walked out of there
with a level of confidence that nobody on planet Earth
cans there from me because now I know what I'm
going against with the national tenants and the market, and
I'll kicking in a good way.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
So I like it. Derek, We're going to roll into,
first of all, fantastic story. This is I think your
grodel is on point. I love the product in terms
of what I see. I got to go try it now.
The test is in the is in the round of
when you get to do the text. But we're going
to go into a rapid fire lightning route, which is
(32:33):
kind of where Share and I go back and forth
on some of your favorite things. You've mentioned a few.
I'll lead off. You know of your mentors in the space,
or at least the people that you think can help you,
taking small points from and then growing off of what
they've been able to do. Anybody in the restaurant spiece.
Obviously you mentioned Warren Buffett in the finance sector, but
(32:56):
what about the restaurant space. Anybody that you kind of say, hey,
this guy is the guy I want to follow, but
yet kind of one up on him.
Speaker 5 (33:05):
I love what uh or Raising Kaynes is doing right now.
I really, I really love what they represent as far
as like how they're always innovating inside of different markets,
whether there's sports like they always involved. So I like
that and I like to look at Big Daves that
way because we look at it. We like to look
at like a culturally relevant all the way around, not
(33:26):
just fast casual. I think Raising Kaynes does a really
good job at that.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
You should really meet with Todd. You should go meet
with Todd Graves now that you said that now, because
he's gonna probably he'll see it. Go get with Todd
Graves because that's a good pick's what he's doing.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
I mean.
Speaker 5 (33:46):
So And in Georgia where I live at, he just
fit winning a Stockbridge. I got a chance to, uh,
you know, see the grand opening, a lot of things
that I've been able to see what that brand has
been really resonating to what I'm trying to build for
Big Ditch.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Another brand, of course, is Dave's Side Chicken. Uh.
Speaker 5 (34:03):
Those families over there, Gary and the rest of the guys,
they have done a tremendous job with that brand. Really
really a lot of motivation coming from that side because
my brand is named Dave's and there's Dave, so that
it put that level of know no insight on that
I could do a two type of model. Also, I
want to talk about Ranny Rannie Juretti, that was CEO
(34:27):
of Shake Shack.
Speaker 4 (34:28):
He's no longer, but you know he was.
Speaker 5 (34:30):
He was a person in my early days from a
high level that I would get conversations, you know, really
good conversations with on how to scale the brand. Well,
most of all, Jesse Bray, my president, Big Dave Cheas Sticks.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
He has gave me.
Speaker 5 (34:47):
A level of education and fast casual that a lot
of people probably wouldn't have gave me because because he
on gate keyp he wanted me to learn it. And
also Swell Swells bring and a level expertise to the brand,
having you know, several Dunkins, several Little Caesars, several days
high Chicken. And now that's bringing a person that's already
(35:09):
kind of been in the game before you at a
stage where you're growing in and say hey, we need
to do it this because I've been doing it down
for twenty plus years and I got teamers that have
been doing the thirty plus years. Like mo he ran
a couple of Taco Max So all of my corporate
team right now has more experience from a restaurant space
side than I do. But for me, what I'm doing
for them is I'm giving them a level of culture
(35:31):
side of believing and we can do it and how
we can do it, and they never seen that before.
So we're putting that that love marriage together and we
just created this tornado Like.
Speaker 1 (35:44):
Yeah, it was like that should be the title of
this podcast, Tornado Chicken.
Speaker 4 (35:50):
I love it, Dames, But but I wouldn't. I wouldn't.
Speaker 5 (35:57):
I wouldn't be one hundred percent because I want to
answer your question all the way of thinking.
Speaker 4 (36:01):
I want to be one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
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Speaker 2 (37:41):
So, Derek, we're talking about mentors and I must say,
what about your wife, Pinky Cole?
Speaker 3 (37:46):
You better give her some love here.
Speaker 5 (37:48):
My wife has been one of the biggest case studies
and motivators and whatever you can you can think of
that it is for me because I've been able to
see her leave the state before I left the state.
I've seen her open up multi more locations before I
opened up multiple locations, So it was a case study
for me.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
My last question is I want to know what you're
listening to. Paul and I are are big music fans.
So what's the song of the summer for.
Speaker 1 (38:16):
Dave's proud of me?
Speaker 4 (38:17):
Actually, that's what, okay, proud of it's.
Speaker 5 (38:20):
The name of the song where he's talking about you
know the things on you know, how how they missed
their father and the things. You know, just certain things
that if you lost your father would resonate to you.
I keep that on replaying the car because my dad
is my biggest motivation. I don't think anything outside of
life will ever change for me that way because my
father was my best friend. He was the person other
(38:41):
than God that I looked up to, and I always
wanted to make him proud, and I always want to
make them happy.
Speaker 4 (38:46):
And right now I know my dad is looking down
and like you're doing it. We almost there.
Speaker 5 (38:50):
But the moment I really get there, I'm really going
to really probably I cry some days, but I'm probally
gonna probably gonna drop a whole lot on them, because
you know how you know you get do something, you're
just waiting for it to happen. I know I got
something special.
Speaker 4 (39:04):
I know my food is unmatched, my customer.
Speaker 5 (39:06):
Service, the things I worked on when it comes to EBA,
I getting all of my numbers together. My brand is
ready to take over the world. And for the ten
years of me busting my butt building this, just putting
the right team together, we are officially ready to take over.
Speaker 4 (39:22):
And I can't wait till Worrell see what we got working.
Speaker 1 (39:25):
I want you to listen. I don't know if you
know Sam Tenas, uh the h but I want you
to go listen to a one song by Sam Tenas
and it's called A Legends Are Made. Just go listen
to that.
Speaker 4 (39:39):
After listen to it, Sam.
Speaker 1 (39:44):
Man, Legends are made?
Speaker 5 (39:46):
All right? Hey, listen, you know A Paul, listen, check
this out right. So I'm an impact person, real energy.
So for one, Cheryl, I want to say to you,
you are a special individual because what you're but you
resonate to on what you're doing for people just in general,
You're always gonna be blessed to that because you're looking
(40:07):
at the body of work and not the person. And
I think a lot of people need to look at
the body of not the person because a lot of
the things that I've done in my career and a
lot of things that i'm doing what I already have
been on a global standpoint if I came from a
different background. But I'm not gonna make that the excuse.
I'm gonna make that the motivation. I'm gonna make that
the motivator for me and the other people that's watching.
(40:28):
And so you know, for me, it's not the money
driver when I'm dating going I want kids to read
about me in history book. That's my driver. I want
my name to live on. I want me to forever
be thought about. Just how I can think about Martin
du King, Malcolm X or any other Greefs that come
from my culture.
Speaker 1 (40:44):
I like it. Man, Congrats to everything you're doing for sure. Listen,
it has been great having you on the show. We
appreciate you coming in very much.
Speaker 4 (40:55):
Thanks a lot, man, Oh, thank you guys for having me.
Speaker 1 (40:58):
All Right, Derek, we'll see you as soon. All right.
What a great uh, what a great interview. I love
it the fact that we had Derek coming on. A
fantastic story too. I wish we had so many more
of these.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
I know, I'm punk.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
I just want to be like, whoo, let's go, let's
punker the day ready, I think speak too man like.
I ment it like if I had money, I'd be investing.
Take my money, big, big, my money.
Speaker 1 (41:29):
I love it. All right, you guys if you are
not uh, first of all, if you know, subscribe to
the podcast. Guess what. We are now available on YouTube music.
We are available over on Spotify. Of course. You can
catch us on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, all those on the
audio side. If you want to catch us on, of course,
the YouTube side, just go over and search saber FM.
You'll find the show and many more over there as well.
(41:50):
We are now the number one podcast in all sectors
of the industry, and I'm talking about every platform out there.
When it comes to the Fast Casual category. So it's
only because of you guys that are listening and watching,
so thank you so much for being a great fan
of the show and we love it. Hopefully this is
(42:11):
Major day a little bit better and we will catch
you next time right here on Fast Casual Nation.
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