On the anniversary of his father’s death, Derrick Hayes witnessed the birth of his son. The Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks CEO and his partner Pinky Cole welcomed Derrick Hayes Jr. on Wednesday, People reports.
Hayes expressed his excitement on Instagram, saying the birth of his son is a “full circle moment.”
“My father died July 6, 2009 and I dedicated my business to him. My son was born today, July 6, 2022 and I’m dedicating my life to him. Welcome to the world son, I got my big Dave in heaven and now I got my lil Dave here on earth,” he wrote.
Hayes and Cole are already parents to their daughter D Ella, who was born in February. The 34-year-old restaurateur, who also has two daughters from a previous relationship, organized a surprise baby shower for Cole when she was pregnant with their son.
“Hiding it from Pinky was definitely hard because we are together every day and we know each other’s moves so well,” Hayes told People. “I had to do a little maneuvering to get around her.”
Cole, who is also known for her exceptional cooking skills, confirmed that it’s hard to keep a secret from her.
“I’m bossy, so keeping a secret from me is very hard, but Derrick and my friends managed to pull it off,” the Atlanta restauranteur told People.
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Hayes, a Philadelphia native, serves 10,000 customers a week at Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks in Atlanta, Forbes reports. The 34-year-old, who started Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks out of a Shell gas station in 2014, now owns two restaurants and a food truck.
