$240 Billion Global Loss Forced Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken to Confront COVID’s Stinging Reality

Shaquille O’Neal and his larger-than-life presence, both on the court and off of it, pretty much go hand-in-hand. So, when he took his initial steps in the fast-food industry in 2018 with his Big Chicken fast-food chain, it was only a matter of time before it hit success. However, things didn’t pan out exactly like that. As the pandemic hit, the food industry worldwide suffered a huge loss, and Big Chicken was no exception.

As lockdowns and social distancing measures were implemented, dine-in restaurants had to close their doors or drastically reduce their operations. This forced Big Chicken to pivot its business model with an increased focus on takeout and online delivery.

Speaking with the host, Gregg Majewski, CEO of Big Chicken Josh Halpern, emphasized that his restaurant chain is now more focused on catering to the needs of the younger generation who are accustomed to such an arrangement. “When you look at Gen Z and when you at Gen X and Gen Alpha and Gen Alpha’s like teenagers, right? They spent their elementary school eating at home because it was the pandemic so they couldn’t go out so that’s the behavior they learn…Now that big deal is, it’s a big deal when we order this food but we’re totally comfortable eating it in the house,” Halpern said, via Craveworthy Brands.

Moving on, according to a report that surveyed 6,000 operators and 1,000 adults, restaurant and food-services sales stood at $659 billion during COVID-19. However, the pre-pandemic projections for the year were expected to draw in close to $899 billion in total sales. Thereby, the industry reported a loss of $240 billion. It was also estimated that more than 2.5 million people lost their jobs in the restaurant industry because of the pandemic.

However, as the years have passed, restaurants have implemented new strategies in their business models, increasing sales. In line with this, Josh Halpern is hopeful about the growth in the industry. “I think like anything people will start to come in the restaurants more right, things will balance out, but I think we need to be prepared that growing sales mean multiple channels,” said Halpern in the same podcast.

It seems like with the strategies in place and with an annual revenue of $14.3 million, Shaquille O’Neal’s brainchild fast-food chain is flourishing more than ever. The fast-food chain is available in 19 locations in the US. It can also be found in sports arenas and Carnival cruise ships. With so much brainstorming going into the strategies to attract customers, it seems like the company has focused on working on its staff too.

Policy on hiring staff for Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken

The concept of Big Chicken was simple for Shaquille O’Neal. He wanted to create a restaurant that offered high-quality, affordable chicken sandwiches and sides, inspired by his love of Southern comfort food. While customer satisfaction might have been the main motto for the restaurant chain, O’Neal focused on a proper work system in his organization too.

Josh Halpern in the new episode of the Room for Seconds podcast shared the fundamentals that he followed in the hiring process for the organization. He focused on the point that the staff are hired only if their values align with the company. “We also get a lot of interest in the company because of our values, right? We try to have big fun every day. We try to have tough conversations every day, you know, not in a way where it’s like this but it’s we, we believe in just being candid and honest and transparent and working together to solve problems,” said Halpern.

He also continued to share that he was grateful to work with like-minded people in the organization and was happy about the fact that new hires in recent months have been a great fit for the company. As Big Chicken continues to grow and expand in places like Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee, O’Neal is excited to see where this venture will take him.