Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks Founder Derrick Hayes Shares Advice From Tyler Perry That He’ll Never Forget — ‘Sometimes You’ve Got To Leave Them In The Sand’

Derrick Hayes, the founder and CEO of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks, has spent the last decade building a multimillion-dollar restaurant chain. Along the way, some advice he received from Tyler Perry stayed with him, he told Fortune.
Hayes, a Philadelphia native, opened his first Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks in a Shell gas station in Georgia in 2014, the outlet reports. Since then, the chain has grown to 12 locations across the U.S., including two Atlanta locations that brought in between $1.1 million and $1.8 million in net sales in 2024, per Fortune. Every 58 seconds, a cheesesteak is sold at one of Hayes’ restaurants, with prices ranging from $11.99 for a classic sandwich to $46.99 for specialty options, the outlet notes.
On Hayes’ 38th birthday, he joined a roundtable discussion with Perry, gospel musician Kirk Franklin, and rapper Jay “Jeezy” Jenkins. During the conversation, Perry shared advice that resonated deeply with Hayes, Fortune reports.
“Tyler Perry said something to me I’ll never forget, because I battle this all the time. I always try to bring everybody with me,” Hayes said.
“‘Sometimes you’ve got to leave them in the sand. Sometimes you’ve got to go in the water, row the boat, leave them in the sand, and offer to come back and get on the boat. Sometimes people aren’t going to understand the mission,’” Perry told Hayes.
Hayes said that Perry’s advice has stuck with him. “I’m on a crazy mission right now, I’m on a mission where this is all I’m doing every day. I am focused on this one thing that I want to see happen, and it’s hard for a lot of humans to grasp it. So right now, I’m leaving a lot of people in the sand,” Hayes noted.
Hayes isn’t the only entrepreneur to benefit from Perry’s guidance. Over the years, Perry has shared advice with other artists and business leaders. AFROTECH™ previously reported on how he has mentored figures like 50 Cent and helped create opportunities for Black entrepreneurs.
As Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks continues to sell sandwiches across the U.S., Perry’s advice remains central to how he approaches his business. Hayes told Fortune he is focused on the day-to-day work of running and expanding the chain.

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