Big Chicken (restaurant chain)
Big Chicken is a fast casual restaurant chain in the United States. It was founded by National Basketball Association star Shaquille O'Neal, along with JRS Hospitality and Authentic Brands Group.[2] The chain serves Louisiana-style fried chicken sandwiches, Cheez-It macaroni, and cookies as big as basketballs.[1] A few locations offer craft beers, wine, and hard liquor.[3]
| Industry | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Genre | Fast food restaurant |
| Founded | October 23, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Founders | Shaquille O'Neal; JRS Hospitality; Authentic Brands Group |
Number of locations | 18[1] (2023) |
Key people | Shaquille O'Neal Josh Halpern Perry Rogers Sam Stanovich Matt Silverman Matt Piekarski |
| Website | www |
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The menu reflects O'Neal's public personality, with each offering named after a person or quality in his life. One is named for his colleague and sometime rival Charles Barkley, while the Uncle Jerome is named for his bodyguard.[4] Others are named for O'Neal's nicknames, like the Superman and the Shaq Daddy.[5]
Background
O'Neal became one of the NBA's most marketable stars in the 1990s, and after his retirement in 2011, he made considerably more in endorsements than he did during his playing career.[6] As part of his marketing reach, O'Neal paid more than $100 million to own or co-own more than 150 restaurants in the Five Guys Burgers, Auntie Annie's, Papa John's, and Krispy Kreme chains.[7]
Openings
In October 2018, O'Neal opened his first Big Chicken restaurant in Las Vegas, Nevada.[3] To promote the launch, O'Neal starred in Big Chicken Shaq, a reality TV series that premiered on October 6, 2018, on Facebook Watch.[8]
Expansions of the chain soon followed, especially after it announced its franchise program in August 2021.[9] Locations the chain expanded to include Tempe and Gilbert, Arizona; Glendale and Valencia, California; Baltimore, Maryland; Kansas City, Missouri; Elmont, New York; Miamisburg, Ohio; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Austin and Houston, Texas; and Seattle and Renton, Washington. Several Big Chicken restaurants opened inside sports arenas[10] and Carnival cruise ships.[11]
References
- Klein, Michael (2023-06-23). "Shaq brings his Big Chicken chain to Philadelphia. It's big, all right — including a cookie the size of a basketball". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
- "About". Big Chicken. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
- Mancini, Al (October 11, 2018). "Shaq debuts menu for new Las Vegas restaurant Big Chicken". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
- Michaels, Laura (2022-03-29). "Shaq's Food Empire Grows Even Bigger As His Big Chicken Franchise Heads To A $1.5B Sports Arena". Franchise Times. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
- Brown, Andrea (2023-02-10). "Shaq's Big Chicken restaurant coming to Mukilteo this summer". HeraldNet. Retrieved 2023-06-25.
- Lauletta, Tyler (2018-03-26). "Shaquille O'Neal makes more money now off of endorsements and advertising than he did during his Hall of Fame NBA career". Business Insider. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
- Sikder, Satagni (2022-08-21). "Shaquille O'Neal, Who Paid Over $100 Million to Own 155 Restaurants, Expands Another Food Business with Latest Victory". Essentially Sports. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
- Holloway, Daniel (July 25, 2018). "Shaquille O'Neal Chicken-Restaurant Reality Show Ordered for Facebook Watch (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
- Michaels, Laura (March 29, 2022). "Why Shaquille O'Neal Is Putting His Star Power Behind Big Chicken". Franchise Times. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
- Dorisca, Samantha (2021-11-16). "Shaq's Food Empire Grows Even Bigger As His Big Chicken Franchise Heads To A $1.5B Sports Arena". AfroTech. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
- Spence, Shay (2018-09-13). "Shaq Is Opening a New Location of His Chicken Restaurant on a Carnival Cruise Ship". People Magazine. Retrieved 2023-06-25.