Eldest Daughter Breaks Personal Vow For Dad Shaquille O’Neal’s “Home-Cooked Childhood” Dream

Taahirah O’Neal is not afraid to talk about her privilege. She joined Jordan Davis on her podcast, Do I Know You, to talk about growing up as one of Shaquille O’Neal’s children. She is aware of the pros and cons of being a famous scion and is navigating that expertly. But Shaq gave his kids all the freedom to establish their careers on their own. Taahirah did so remarkably, pursuing communications and working at PepsiCo.

“I swore, I SWORE I wasn’t gonna be working with Shaquille at all,” she told Jordan Davis. However, she helped Shaq’s Mine O Mine production house as a communications specialist. After pursuing her own entrepreneurial ventures, Taahirah has shown more involvement in one of Shaquille O’Neal’s most important businesses in his multi-faceted empire.

She confirmed that as her mentor from PepsiCo is still advising her on the food service industry. “Because I’m about to start helping out my dad’s restaurant chain.” She is referring to Big Chicken Shaq.

Launched as a Shaquille O’Neal-owned fast-casual dining concept in 2018, it has since expanded into franchising in 2021. With over 300 units in development nationwide, O’Neal has apparently enlisted his most business-savvy kid into the fold. Big Chicken at its heart is a family business. The nostalgia-based menu is inspired by Shaq’s love for sandwiches and his favorite childhood meals.

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As the Big Chicken official statement is, “Big Chicken fuses O’Neal’s home-cooked childhood favorites with today’s trending flavors.” Most of it is derived from Shaq’s mom, Taahirah’s grandmother, Lucille O’Neal’s recipes. That shows from the Cheez-it-crusted dish on the menu named Lucille’s Mac and Cheese. Lucille herself drops by some units to check on operations.

Taahirah O’Neal throws herself into the family business

The Oglethorpe alum’s involvement has been prominent since the 2023 holidays. Taahirah hosted a Friendsgiving giveback event at one of the Texas locations before Thanksgiving. After spending Christmas in Atlanta with Shaq, they headed back to Texas for the New Year. She worked the floor at the Richmond outlet of Big Chicken and gushed about the experience. She even invited her followers to flock to Big Chicken in 2024 and “Tell them #MissOneal sent you!” 

She’s also been involved in promoting Shaq’s media ventures like The Big Podcast and accompanying him to the TNT studio on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That complements her move from Houston, Texas to Atlanta, Georgia, where Shaq’s TNT job is based.

Taahirah told Davis that as the eldest, there was some expectation and “pressure” to further Shaq’s brand. She was nonetheless given the freedom by her parents to explore her options. After learning the ropes within the industry, she’s now working her way up in the O’Neal empire.

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