Shaq's 'Big Chicken' restaurant coming to Austin
AUSTIN (KXAN) - Shaquille O'Neal is deep in business ventures after his Hall of Fame career in the NBA, and one of them is coming to Austin.
Better known as Shaq, his fast-casual chicken restaurant — appropriately named "Big Chicken" — will reportedly have a spot at the new Moody Center when it opens later in April. The location was first reported by Nation's Restaurant News.
According to the Austin Business Journal, a Texas franchise agreement was awarded to three people who plan to develop 50 Big Chicken restaurants across Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.
Big Chicken opened its first store in Las Vegas in 2018. Last year, a second opened in Glendale, California. O'Neal also has a store in Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, home of the Seattle Kraken, a 2021-22 NHL expansion team.
It seems O'Neal is focused on sports arenas, the type of venue he knows the best. He made a stop in New York to get a glimpse of UBS Arena, the new $1.5 billion home of the NHL’s New York Islanders where he'll put another restaurant.
“Section 206,” O’Neal said, smiling into one of the many local TV cameras present to capture the promotional event. He was referring to the section where Big Chicken is located in the arena.
“This is my ritual,” he told CNBC, moments after the TV cameras departed. “Fried chicken with cheese, pickles and hot sauce.”
O’Neal started Big Chicken with his friend Matt Silverman, and agent Perry Rogers. It’s not his first foray into the food industry. O’Neal owns various Papa John’s locations, and even makes an appearance in a commercial for the pizza chain. In 2019, he joined the company’s board.
But this task is a much different one for O’Neal because he’s starting the brand from scratch.
One of the sandwiches on the Big Chicken menu is called Uncle Jerome, named after O’Neal’s uncle. Another is called Charles Barkley, a nod to the former NBA star and O’Neal’s broadcasting partner on “Inside the NBA.” Barkley’s namesake sandwich comes with mac and cheese on top of the chicken, along with crispy onions and “Shaq sauce.”
Big Chicken also features the MDE, which stands for most dominant ever, and is meant to describe O’Neal’s career at center, primarily for the Los Angeles Lakers. He was first-team All-NBA eight times and the NBA Finals MVP three times.
In 1996, shortly after his arrival in L.A. from Orlando, the Lakers recognized O’Neal’s dominance. The team signed him to a seven-year, $120 million deal. At the time, it was the richest in sports and set the stage for the Lakers’ resurgence.
O’Neal led the Lakers to three straight championships from 2000-2002, and won his fourth title with the Miami Heat in 2005-2006. He finished his career with 15 All-Star Game appearances and one MVP trophy. Last month, O’Neal was named one of the greatest 75 players ever, as the NBA is celebrating its 75th season.