photo courtesy of CNBC
Shaquille O’Neal will open a Shaq’s Big Chicken location in Orlando by the end of 2023. According to the company’s LinkedIn page, the chicken chain will be located in the Market at Southside, 250 E. Michigan Street. Although the exact date hasn’t been announced, the company is confirmed to be expanding into Orlando, Florida.
The company reported that the contract had been signed for a 45-unit deal with the other franchise locations in Orlando, Miami, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach. The announcement in the post read, “With this announcement, we’ve officially sold out the state of Florida and pushed our development pipeline to more than 200!! As some would say… GO BIG or go home!!”
Their website describes Big Chicken’s menu as meeting flavors from modern trends to Shaq’s favorite childhood meals. The description says, “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,”
Big Chicken’s menu at other locations includes a variety of chicken sandwiches, loaded fries, sliders, spicy sales, and a special mac n’ cheese and other staples. Despite the elevated and unique menu, the CEO of Big Chicken, Josh Halpern, told outlets that it was important to maintain their values through the expansions. He said, “We’re continuously going to test the boundaries of the brand and what the brand can achieve. But we really continue to go back to good value for your money, big meal, good value for your menu, and accessibility. And those have always been our values, and they’re going to be our values in addition to continuous improvement. We’re always going to be looking at how to better the brand.”