Clark's CheeseSTEAK Factory famous Philly Cheesesteaks locations offers Southerners a taste of Philly with traditional cheesesteak sandwiches and other local favorites.

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J.T.M. Food Group Philly Cheesesteak Company

Most folks in New England understand the powerful allure of the Philadelphia cheesesteak sandwich, but Boston-born Dave Clark wanted to introduce an authentic version to consumers in the South. That’s why he opened Clark’s CheeseSTEAK Factory famous Philly Cheesesteaks on Nashville’s riverfront a couple of years ago.

“I felt and still feel there’s a big void in the Philadelphia cheesesteak sandwich market matched with the fresh-cut fries and homemade milkshakes,” he says.

“I think it’s a big country, so there are a lot of cities and little towns that are wide open and have yet to be exposed to a Philly cheesesteak,” Clark adds. “I think the sandwich shops of the world have opened the door for awareness for this kind of fast-food,” he continues.

“There is an awful lot of people who have never had cheesesteak in this part of the country, but they sure get hooked.”

Opening with a Bang
Clark found himself in Tennessee when he took a job as vice president of operations for the Tennessee Pride Sausage Co. “They brought me here to start a restaurant chain, which would be like a Bob Evans or a Cracker Barrel,” he notes. An industry veteran, Clark has lived and worked in cities around the nation helping to develop the menus and operations of some very well-known restaurant chains, including TGI Fridays, Magic Pan and Corky’s BBQ.

It’s no surprise that when he opened his first Clark’s in Nashville, “we opened up with a bang, so to speak,” Clark says. In less than two years, the company had opened four restaurants, and Clark intends to make it a national franchise. Now, with its headquarters in Murfreesboro, Tenn., and a recently approved franchisee in Cape Canaveral, Fla., the company is in full expansion mode. In fact, Clark says, it was recently approved as a vendor at Yankee Stadium and Madison Square Garden, and just finished catering to thousands of Philly cheesesteak fans at the four-day Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tenn., in June.

Keeping It Authentic
The trick to the company’s success, according to Clark, has been one word: quality. “We definitely pride ourselves on quality,” he admits. “We import everything in from Philadelphia, so it’s authentic steaks, bread, sauces and chips, [and] that sets us aside.

“We’re dealing with a product that has a history to it,” he adds. “The Philadelphia cheesesteak is a famous item. Great quality and an authentic product are important to us, and they make a difference when somebody orders a sandwich.”

Clark’s also is an open-cooking establishment. All sandwiches are grilled and then toasted in front of customers. Plus, patrons pick out their own potatoes to be made into fresh-cut french fries.

“It makes for a nice conversation piece, and, well, people probably feel good about knowing what they’re going to get after they look at it,” Clark says with a laugh. “So, we feel comfortable with that type of operation.”

Friends in High Places
Being less than two years old and with just four operations, even Clark says he was shocked when the company was featured in a Nation’s Restaurant News article as one of the quality franchise companies for 2008. “We’re in there with a dozen companies and they are all the big, well-known companies,” he says. “We’re a real little guy that got put in there, so we were really pleased with that.”

Having celebrity fans is also neat, he adds. Frank Wychek, a Nashville sportscaster who played for the Tennessee Titans but is from Philadelphia, called Clark’s “the real deal,” and even the mayor of Nashville – also a Philadelphia native – stops by for an authentic Philly cheesesteak. 

Clark’s was also featured on the Country Music Television reality show “Gone Country,” where celebrities such as Bobby Brown, Maureen McCormick, Dee Snider, Julio Iglesias Jr. and Sisqo were offered a chance to break out as the next big country star. “They ate in our restaurant, and it was the better part of 15 minutes of the episode,” Clark says.