Shaquille O’Neill’s newest venture in the fast food industry isn’t his first fast food rodeo…far from it. He has multiple stakes in major players like, Krispy Kreme, Papa John’s, and Five Guys Burgers And Fries. But Shaq’s fast casual creation, Big Chicken is an original idea, and it’s picking up steam with plans to open 36 additional locations in Ohio alone.
Locations have already popped up in cities like, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Seattle, Orlando, NYC, and Dayton, Ohio. And there’s even a Big Chicken on three Carnival Cruise Ships.
The Birth of Big Chicken
In 2018, Shaq starred in a reality show sponsored by Facebook called Big Chicken Shaq. The show followed his journey as he navigated the process of opening his own restaurant in Las Vegas.
Like many within the restaurant industry, Big Chicken was temporarily side-lined during 2020, and the onslaught of the pandemic. Once things cooled off, Shaq and his team pushed on, and have been quietly increasing their Big Chicken footprint by procuring partnerships with the likes of Walmart and dipping their Big Chicken tenders into the fairly new concept of the ghost kitchen.
Shaq’s partnered with JRS Hospitality and Authentic Brands (owns and licenses brands like Reebok) which enabled him to bring his vision to life.
Each location even has accommodations fit for Shaq should he just so happen to be stopping by – an oversized chair (three times the size of a normal chair )is installed at each restaurant and serves as an homage for the basketball star.
What’s on the Menu?
Big Chicken’s menu is based on some of Shaq’s favorite childhood meals. The Vegas location even has sandwiches named after “important” people who have influenced Shaq in his life like, Charles Barkley and ‘Uncle Jerome’.
The comfort food based deliciousness makes for a menu jam-packed with explosions of flavor that hits all the tasty bases. We’re talking sliders, milkshakes, tenders, big chicken sandwiches with mac & cheese or BBQ garlic aioli sauce and crispy grilled cheese sandwiches.
CEO Josh Halpern says: “We have 5-ounce chicken sandwiches while most are in the 2-to-2 ½-ounce range. We’re also hormone- and antibiotic-free, our chicken is breaded and fried in store with proprietary breading and we have so many options compared to others,” Halpern said.
Big Chicken fuses O’Neal’s home-cooked childhood favorites with today’s trending flavors. From crispy chicken sandwiches and tenders to Cheez-It® crusted mac n’ cheese and hand-crafted ice cream shakes, each menu item tells a story all while offering guests an inside look into the life and personality of Shaquille O’Neal.
From Big Chicken’s Website
Things are popping off (popcorn chicken style) with Shaq’s chicken based fast food franchise. The latest news on Big Chicken’s expansion sees a 36-unit increase in the state of Ohio alone and is a sign of things to come. With ginormous chicken sandwiches as a selling point…no wonder it’s coming in hot.
