Big Dave's Cheesesteaks
Big Dave's Cheesesteaks is an Atlanta-based fast-casual franchise founded in 2014 serving authentic Philly-style cheesesteaks with halal options across 13+ retail and stadium locations in five states, generating revenue through company-owned sales, franchise royalties, catering, and a mobile-app loyalty program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersAtlanta, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Big Dave's Cheesesteaks does
Big Dave's Cheesesteaks is a fast-casual restaurant franchise founded in 2014 by Derrick Hayes in Atlanta, Georgia, specializing in authentic Philadelphia-style cheesesteaks with halal-certified beef and chicken proteins served on Amoroso's rolls. The menu centers on hand-chopped signature cheesesteaks across beef, chicken, salmon, and veggie variants, complemented by cheesesteak egg rolls, Philly fries, and Mama Hayes' banana pudding, with limited-time offerings such as the Hot Bird Cheesesteak. Distribution runs through 13+ retail storefronts across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Washington D.C., permanent or event-based concessions at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Georgia World Congress Center, Camping World Stadium, and Kia Center, plus catering (delivered and via ezCater) and a food truck operation in Georgia and the Carolinas.
The company makes money through a hybrid model: company-owned restaurant sales, franchise fees and royalties from multi-unit and single-unit franchisees, catering and food truck event revenue, and a 10% cash-back loyalty program (Big Bucks) delivered through iOS and Android apps that drives repeat consumer transactions. The franchise program offers site selection, training, supply chain, and grand-opening support to operators in D.C., Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, with strategic supply chain partnerships signed in February 2026 with Amoroso's Baking Co. and Philly's Best Steak Co. to lock in authentic inputs at national scale. Customer segments include individual consumers (primary), franchise operators, and corporate and event customers, while marketing relies on organic social, earned media in Forbes, CNBC, Good Morning America, and Black Enterprise, and a dedicated franchise portal with a 24-hour inquiry response SLA.
Big Dave's Cheesesteaks firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Big Dave's Cheesesteaks
- Legal name
- Big Dave's Cheesesteaks
- Website
- https://bigdavesway.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Big Dave's Cheesesteaks is an Atlanta-based fast-casual franchise founded in 2014 serving authentic Philly-style cheesesteaks with halal options across 13+ retail and stadium locations in five states, generating revenue through company-owned sales, franchise royalties, catering, and a mobile-app loyalty program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Big Dave's Cheesesteaks is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Atlanta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
Big Dave's Cheesesteaks business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Company-Owned Restaurant Sales: Direct revenue from company-owned restaurant locations selling cheesesteaks, sides, and beverages to consumers.
- Franchise Fees and Royalties: Initial franchise fees and ongoing royalty payments from franchisees operating under the Big Dave's brand.
- Catering and Food Truck Services: Revenue from corporate events, office lunches, weddings, festivals, and private parties through catering delivery and on-site food truck services.
- Loyalty Program (Big Bucks): 10% cash back on every order through the Big Bucks loyalty program, encouraging repeat customer purchases.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Franchise Investment |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Big Dave's Cheesesteaks product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Big Dave's Cheesesteaks operates a fast-casual restaurant franchise serving authentic Philadelphia-style cheesesteaks made with hand-chopped halal proteins on Amoroso's rolls, alongside cheesesteak egg rolls, Philly fries, water ice, and banana pudding. The business generates revenue through company-owned and franchised retail storefronts, direct online and mobile-app ordering, off-premise catering, and food truck event services, with a national franchise expansion program supported by Amoroso's Baking Co. and Philly's Best Steak Company supply chain partnerships.
Product overview
Big Dave's Cheesesteaks is a fast-casual restaurant franchise offering authentic Philly-style cheesesteaks and related food products. The core product portfolio includes signature and classic hand-chopped cheesesteaks (beef, chicken, salmon, veggie), limited-time offerings like the Hot Bird Cheesesteak, fan favorites such as cheesesteak egg rolls and Philly fries, and Mama Hayes' banana pudding. Supporting offerings include catering services, food truck event bookings, a loyalty rewards program (Big Bucks), and a franchise development program for national expansion across Washington D.C., Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Big Bucks: Loyalty rewards program offering 10% back in real cash value on every order. No points, no tiers - Big Bucks can be used toward any item on future purchases.
- Kiwi All-Star Program
Products and services
- Cheesesteak Menu (Signature Beef, Chicken, Salmon, and Veggie) Hand-chopped, made-to-order cheesesteaks served on fresh Amoroso's rolls with halal beef and chicken options, plus salmon and veggie variants, sold to dine-in, carryout, and delivery customers across all Big Dave's locations.
- Egg Rolls, Sides, Water Ice, and Banana Pudding Cheesesteak-stuffed egg rolls (beef, chicken, buffalo chicken, salmon), crinkle-cut Philly fries, water ice, and Mama Hayes' banana pudding, sold alongside cheesesteaks at all Big Dave's locations.
- Catering Services Catering delivered fresh and ready to serve for corporate events, office lunches, weddings, and family gatherings in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina markets.
- Food Truck Events Mobile food truck service delivering the full Big Dave's menu on-site for festivals, school events, weddings, community events, and private parties, currently available in Georgia and Carolina markets.
- Big Dave's Franchise Program Franchise opportunity providing territorial rights, site selection, training systems, supply chain partnerships, and ongoing operational support to single-unit and multi-unit operators seeking to open Big Dave's Cheesesteaks restaurants in territories across D.C., Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Quantifiable outcome
- #4 ranking on 2026 Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Big Dave's Cheesesteaks
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Big Dave's Cheesesteaks technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Big Dave's Cheesesteaks partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Amoroso's Baking Co.coreStrategic supply chain partnership ensuring sourcing of authentic Amoroso's bakery rolls for all Big Dave's Cheesesteaks locations nationwide. This partnership is critical for maintaining product integrity and supporting national expansion efforts.
- Philly's Best Steak Co.coreStrategic supply chain partnership for sourcing high-quality ingredients essential to Big Dave's product standards. Partnership supports operational efficiency and product consistency across expanding national footprint.
- Mercedes-Benz StadiumflagshipFlagship stadium partnership serving authentic Philly cheesesteaks at Atlanta Falcons games and major events. Represents high-visibility brand presence in major sports venue.
- Georgia World Congress CenterflagshipPartnership for food service operations at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, serving convention attendees and event visitors.
- Camping World StadiumcoreStadium partnership in Orlando serving food at major sporting events and venue activities.
- Kia CentercoreArena partnership in Orlando for food service at concerts, sporting events, and other venue functions.
- Shawna Snyder (COO)coreChief Operating Officer bringing decades of multi-unit growth experience to drive strategic national expansion and build operational backbone.
- ezCaterminorThird-party catering marketplace integration enabling customers to order Big Dave's catering through the ezCater platform.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Big Dave's Cheesesteaks competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Capriotti's Sandwich Shop: Capriotti's is a direct cheesesteak-specialty franchise with a multi-state U.S. footprint, established franchising operations, and a similar 'authentic regional sandwich' brand positioning. It is the closest analogue to Big Dave's in category and go-to-market.
- Penn Station East Coast Subs: Penn Station is a Midwest-rooted sub franchise famous for cheesesteaks on Amoroso's rolls. Direct competitor in the cheesesteak franchise category with comparable supply chain (Amoroso's) and franchise expansion model.
- Jersey Mike's Subs: Jersey Mike's is one of the fastest-growing U.S. sub franchises, competing in similar customer occasions (lunch, catering) and overlapping with Big Dave's Philadelphia heritage angle and multi-state franchise scale.
- Firehouse Subs: Firehouse Subs is a national sandwich franchise with comparable unit count, franchise expansion model, and catering/event-driven revenue. Direct competitor for franchisee capital and similar customer demographics.
- Primanti Bros. Primanti Bros. is a regional sandwich chain with strong identity (Pittsburgh-style), national expansion through franchising, and stadium/sports venue partnerships. Comparable 'regional sandwich brand going national' trajectory to Big Dave's.
Broad incumbents
- Jimmy John's: Jimmy John's is a broad incumbent sandwich chain with national delivery, catering and franchise infrastructure. Comparable customer occasion (fast-casual sandwich delivery/catering), though broader menu and significantly larger scale.
- Potbelly Sandwich Shop: Potbelly is a publicly traded fast-casual sandwich chain operating company-owned and franchised units. Comparable franchise structure, sandwich positioning, and catering/event revenue mix to Big Dave's.
- Wawa: Wawa is a convenience/ready-to-eat chain with strong Philly cheesesteak credibility and East Coast/Southeast footprint. Comparable adjacent category for halo brand presence and food-truck/event-channel competition.
Emerging players
- Blaze Pizza: Blaze Pizza is a fast-casual franchise concept with similar stadium venue placements and a multi-state franchise footprint. Comparable brand trajectory and venue-channel go-to-market even though category is pizza, not sandwich.
Regional players
- Cook Out: Cook Out is a Southeast-rooted QSR chain with strong regional brand density in Georgia, the Carolinas, and surrounding states. Comparable competitive set for Big Dave's Southeast same-store traffic and category competition.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Big Dave's Cheesesteaks social profiles
Digital presenceBig Dave's Cheesesteaks financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Big Dave's Cheesesteaks leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Big Dave's Cheesesteaks funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Big Dave's Cheesesteaks M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Big Dave's Cheesesteaks
What does Big Dave's Cheesesteaks do?
Big Dave's Cheesesteaks operates a fast-casual restaurant franchise serving authentic Philadelphia-style cheesesteaks made with hand-chopped halal proteins on Amoroso's rolls, alongside cheesesteak egg rolls, Philly fries, water ice, and banana pudding. The business generates revenue through company-owned and franchised retail storefronts, direct online and mobile-app ordering, off-premise catering, and food truck event services, with a national franchise expansion program supported by Amoroso's Baking Co. and Philly's Best Steak Company supply chain partnerships.
Is Big Dave's Cheesesteaks a public or private company?
Big Dave's Cheesesteaks is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Big Dave's Cheesesteaks founded?
Big Dave's Cheesesteaks was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Big Dave's Cheesesteaks based?
Big Dave's Cheesesteaks is headquartered in Atlanta, United States, in the North America region.
How does Big Dave's Cheesesteaks make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Company-Owned Restaurant Sales are the primary driver. The others are franchise Fees and Royalties, catering and Food Truck Services and loyalty Program (Big Bucks).
Who are Big Dave's Cheesesteaks's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Capriotti's Sandwich Shop, Penn Station East Coast Subs, Jersey Mike's Subs, Firehouse Subs and Primanti Bros.. Broad incumbents are Jimmy John's, Potbelly Sandwich Shop and Wawa. Blaze Pizza is listed as an emerging player. Cook Out is listed as a regional player.
Does Big Dave's Cheesesteaks have an API?
No public API is recorded for Big Dave's Cheesesteaks.