Big Chicken had quite a year in 2024. Brand new openings, new partnerships, and expanding beyond borders – Shaquille O’Neal is on track to become the next big sandwich mogul in the biz. But it hasn’t been without some problems. Big Chicken Shaq’s 2024 record has its ups and downs. The downs are more lowkey but not going unnoticed. While O’Neal’s business partner and agent was hyping the success of Big Chicken in Las Vegas, other stores seem to have some struggles. It raises some concerns knowing Shaq’s had a few failures in the restaurant business outside Big Chicken though he’s a successful Papa John’s and Krispy Kreme franchisee.

A collab with Bite Kiosk, a food truck, the first international location in Manchester, England, and another coming in Barbados was part of Big Chicken’s 2024 to-do list. However, Shaq’s fellow chicken lovers have raised questions about their nearest Big Chicken stores nearby. As it turns out, some of Shaq’s restaurants unexpectedly shuttered.

Californians are concerned about Valencia Big Chicken

Perry Rogers, the R in JRS Hospitality – the restaurant group behind Big Chicken – recently touted the success of Big Chicken in Las Vegas, its origin state. The five locations along the Strip has had at least 24 million footfalls this year. On the surface, the Texas and California locations seemed to replicate that success.

However, at the end of November, Valencia residents noticed the local Big Chicken was unoperational. It had a sign ‘Closed Until Further Notice’ with no additional reason. It doesn’t appear there were any renovation plans underway or other reasons.

This store opened in 2022 and Shaq visited it himself a few times, including in 2023. There was a rumor on neighborhood groups that the store would reopen at the end of December. Some fans checked it out themselves on New Year’s Eve and were shattered to see that the store is still closed indefinitely.

There are other locations in California though. Including a newly opened one in the San Diego Naval Base.

Operational costs get Big Chicken in Houston

Texas was the Big Chicken success story. With a 50+ unit expansion plan, O’Neal’s franchisees opened locations in Houston, Fort Worth, and Lubbock. It appeared that Big Chicken had the Big Aristotle grit to survive in Texas’ competitive chicken foodscape. However, a commercial real estate broker in Texas informed in November that O’Neal’s fast casual dining chain fell victim to the “great chicken gold rush.” 

This location in Westheimer & Gessner in Houston opened in July 2023. Shaq was at this grand opening too which nearly turned into a safety concern and had to be shut down early. The full-size 3.800 sq. ft. restaurant with bar service apparently couldn’t keep the roughly $1 million operational costs and closed by November 2024.

The other Texas locations, including in Richmond are still open. No official statement was made on this closure but their focus was on expansion. Big Chicken opened its first international location in Manchester, England in May, 2024 among others. The next international storefront is in works in Barbados according to Perry Rogers.

Big Chicken Shaq franchisees disassociate from the brand

The first setback to Big Chicken came in August 2024. The three Arkansas stores in Fayetteville and Springdale, both owned by the same franchisee, underwent a rebranding. Amy and Chris McMillan with their restuarant group that included former NBA pro, Ronnie Brewer Jr. were previously Big Chicken franchisees who opened these stores in January 2024.

They ended their partnership within eight months and opened their chicken concept in the same locations. The signs on the shuttered stores read, “C-Mac’s Fayetteville will be opening soon. Come back and check us out.” The former franchisees said it was nothing against Big Chicken and they simply chose to build their “in house” brand.

Big Chicken didn’t comment on the matter. That same month it opened its first Fort Worth location in Texas.

In fact, these hitches have not set O’Neal back. The first Mississippi location opened in Hattiesburg this month. The first Michigan location in the exact spot Guy Fieri’s store failed is thriving. Big Chicken also had a seed round at a $37.5 million valuation. $750,000 grand from this has been allocated to a specific new project in the works. A few closures haven’t derailed Big Chicken Shaq’s growth. True to its namesake, big things are coming for it in 2025.