Before 300+ Expansion Plan, “Chief Fun Officer” Shaquille O’Neal Took His Big Chicken Empire to the High Seas

He may be a new player in the chicken business, but Shaquille O’Neal has every intention of replacing the Colonel. From about two dozen locations at its inception, Big Chicken Shaq is expanding across the country with hundreds of locations in development. The NBA legend wanted Big Chicken to be accessible in every place possible. So he got on board an initial launch on cruise liners, with him at the helm.

O’Neal lived up to his multi-faceted entrepreneurial fame by joining the leadership of a carnival cruise line. That created a brand new opportunity for his fast casual brainchild, Big Chicken Shaq.

Big Chicken Shaq goes Carnival

Shaquille O’Neal took his love for the chicken sandwich and the ’80s, dialed up his mom’s best recipes, built a team of industry experts, and launched Big Chicken Shaq in 2018. With the first location in Las Vegas, Big Chicken opened dozens of brick-and-mortar stores in multiple cities.

O’Neal, who is a Five Guys and Papa John’s franchisee, decided to expand his business. Not only did he want to open at more locations, but he wanted Big Chicken to be present in non-traditional locations, too. That brought Big Chicken to the Carnival Cruise Line.

The plans were in the work within a few weeks of the Las Vegas opening. A Big Chicken outlet was set to sail on the line’s Carnival Radiance that embarked to Spain in 2020. It was the cherry on top of a new partnership between the branding magnate and the $17 billion cruise line company.

Carnival Cruise Line had just bought O’Neal on board as its ‘CFO.’ That was a newly coined acronym for “Chief Fun Officer” that fit the notorious party animal perfectly. O’Neal was eager to create a cruise-special menu that would be available to passengers for no additional cost. After all, the aim of Big Chicken is to make people happy.

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The pandemic probably delayed the plans a bit because O’Neal could only liven up a carnival cruise this year. But Big Chicken was a big hit on the cruise. It only cemented O’Neal’s national domination aspirations further.

Big Diesel’s big plans for Big Chicken

In 2021, JRS Hospitality, comprised of O’Neal’s longtime associates, brought Josh Halpern on board as the CEO. The goal was to take Big Chicken Shaq into the franchise business. Before long, the restaurant chain signed deals to open multiple locations all over the country.

At least 506 locations in Texas are in the works and 20 in Michigan. Houston got its first Big Chicken franchise this year and Boston will have a location soon. About 300 locations are in development, but O’Neal has only scratched the surface.

One of the things on his expansion checklist was taking Big Chicken to sports arenas. Among the multiple stadiums with outlets, there are Big Chicken stores at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena and St. Louis’ Busch Stadium.

It’s even reinventing the purchasing experience. Texas residents can pick up a pre-made meal box at a Big Chicken kiosk and pay via a QR code. O’Neal is also working on developing a drive-thru concept he hopes to make a regular soon. With Big Chicken’s rapidly growing success, Shaquille O’Neal is well on the path to becoming a profiteering restaurateur.

Have you tried the Big Chicken yet? Comment and let us know.

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