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Business & Tech

Meet the Owner: William Dawson of Weeyums Philly Style

Weeyums Philly Style in Stone Mountain Village celebrates its 12th year in business.

, located in the heart of Stone Mountain Village, has been the home of the Philadelphia Cheese steak for local residents since May of 2000.  Weeyums Philly Style provides freshly prepared food that is made to order for each customer. Recently, Patch talked to the owner, William Dawson, and this is what he shared with us:

Patch: Why did you decide to open your restaurant in the City of Stone Mountain as opposed to another location?

Dawson: I drove passed it several times and thought it was a good location, but [ultimately] God moved me to it.  I’ve been here 12 years and now I’m trying to get a second location.

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Patch: Do you have a background in the restaurant business?

Dawson: No, I was a firefighter for Fulton County prior to this. I never knew this would be my calling, but I [knew] that I wanted to do something that made people happy. Being a firefighter left me empty because every call meant there was trouble.

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Patch: What’s been the most challenging part of running your restaurant?

Dawson: The most challenging thing for me was having a consistent [schedule].  When I first opened [the business], I was working 70 plus hours a week.  I [eventually] hired other people to help me, but that also meant that I had to train them.  I wanted to make sure that they were getting things right with the food and that product [had] the same quality.

Patch: What has been the most rewarding part of running your business?

Dawson: The most rewarding part of the business has been watching the same people come back.  That lets me know that we have a loyal consistent customer base. 

Patch: Who helps you run the business?

Dawson: I have two dynamic chefs who work with me.  One is my son, Joe Dawson, and the other is Adrian Rucker. They both grew up in area and graduated from . They love making food and can’t wait to have their own location.

Patch: What are the store hours and how can people contact you if they want to place on order?

Dawson: We are open Monday through Thursday from 11am to 9pm.  Fridays and Saturdays we are opened from 11am to 11pm.  We are closed on Sundays.  Customers can call our main number at 770-322-0000 for pick up. Our website address is www.weeyumsphillystyle.com.

Patch: What advice would you give an entrepreneur trying to get started in the business?

Dawson: I would say that they should use as much of their own capital and assets as possible and not to borrow money. It makes life a lot easier.

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