Ovation

What does it take to scale a restaurant brand without losing its soul?

In this episode of Give an Ovation, Derrick Hayes shares how honoring his father's legacy became the foundation for Big Dave's Cheesesteaks, why employee experience drives guest experience, and how culture can become your greatest competitive advantage.

🎙️ Listen now for practical insights on leadership, team development, guest experience, and scaling a restaurant brand while maintaining operational consistency.

Chicago, that’s a wrap! 🎉

From MEG conversations to the Fast Casual Top 100 Movers & Shakers Gala and a packed week at NRA 2026, we loved connecting with so many operators passionate about the future of guest experiences.

We were honored to present the Ovation Award for Excellence in Guest Experience to Cheba Hut 🥪🏆 and excited to see 20+ Ovation customers recognized on this year’s Top 100 list. Huge congrats to all the brands continuing to raise the bar. 🙌

The gala also brought style. ✨ Congrats to Derrick Hayes of Dave’s Cheesesteaks and Brittany Mercer of Cowboy Chicken for taking home Best Dressed!

And of course, thanks to everyone who stopped by Booth #5534 to talk AI, guest feedback, ratings, retention, revenue growth... and food pillows! 🌮🍩🍔🍕

Huge thanks to , Cherryh Cansler, and the entire NRA community for an incredible week. See you next year, Chicago! 👋