Shaquille O’Neal is no stranger to success, whether on the court or in business. Fresh off his reign as Bacchus King at the parade in New Orleans, Shaquille O’Neal has surprised his fans with big news. After an unforgettable NBA career, the business mogul has dedicated most of his time to nurturing his burgeoning ventures. For the last few years, he has been working to drive one of his biggest investments, Big Chicken, forward. From offering free food for 34 lucky customers for a year to being personally present at the opening of the restaurants, O’Neal’s efforts are evident. But as new members join the elite group, shocking rumors of losses have surfaced.

Big Chicken is quite popular thanks to its incredible offerings and, of course, the influence of the larger-than-life personality. The Big Chicken store in Las Vegas, has had massive success, as per Perry Rogers of JRS Hospitality. This is one of the brands behind the famous food chain. However, other locations reportedly haven’t performed as well as their origin state. Last year, the Valencia Big Chicken was allegedly closed. Rumors suggest the chain has been struggling, with average unit volumes (AUVs) reportedly around $800,000—far below expectations. Some reports even claim that Shaq and his team were eager to offload the brand due to mounting financial losses.

Heading into the new year, Craveworthy Brands, founded by CEO Gregg Majewski, will now join O’Neal, JRS Hospitality (JRS), and Authentic Brands Group (ABG) as investors. There are 40-plus Big Chicken restaurants open, and nearly 350 are currently in development. Craveworthy Brands will work alongside the other investors to drive its growth. As per Restaurant News, “The Genghis Grill and Taim Mediterranean Kitchen parent company has become a managing partner and investor in Shaq’s chicken brand.”

Along with the news, there are rumors as per this insider (Mister Whistleblower) who took to  X, “Word on the street @BigChickenShaq has been sold for almost nothing to @CraveworthyUS. Big Chicken been hurting for months. Hearing AUVs are only $800k. Vegas stores never busy. @SHAQ & agent Perry want to unload mess per sources. @QSRmagazine @FranTimes @NRNonline @reviewjournal.” However, there has been no official news from Big Chicken.  The Big Chicken Shaq at Westheimer & Gessner in Houston was also allegedly closed with no official information on if its permanent or temporary.

Regardless of the rumors, the investors have moved forward with Big Chicken’s expansion.

As new investors join, Big Chicken arrives in North California

The Big Chicken is indeed one of the fans’ favorites. Despite the rumors with some of the restaurants, O’Neal’s food chain has indeed been loved by the Chicken lovers. One of the reasons is also that it features the Los Angeles Lakers legend’s favorite home-cooked childhood dishes. Lucille’s Mac N’ Cheese (which is his mother’s recipe), wings, and shakes are some of the iconic ones that have been loved by the fans. This experience is debuting in Northern California as well. As per Silicon Valley Business Journal, a new Big Chicken is set to open in San Jose. 

The food chain will now join Craveworthy’s thriving portfolio of 15 brands. The new investors will focus on the operations, supply chain management, training and more of the brand. “This one-of-a-kind opportunity truly embodies the mission behind why I founded Craveworthy—to build a full-stack platform that aligns with top brands like Big Chicken and infuses broad-reaching support through proven systems and support to thrive in the evolving restaurant industry,” Majewski said.

Josh Halpern who will continue to retain his CEO position for the brand said, “I’m excited to team up with Gregg and the Craveworthy team. It’s a marriage of two BIG time talented organizations. Gregg and I have a strong professional relationship and he’s the type of leader we’ll match with well. I feel fantastic about our future.”

While the Big Chicken is yet to comment on the rumors, one thing is certain, the Big Chicken is looking ahead to a new change.