Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken franchise is coming to North Texas. The franchise was initially set to open in Dallas-Fort Worth in 2023, but now a new date is set for spring 2024.
According to WFAA, the first North Texas location will be in Fort Worth. Big Chicken signed a lease at the northwest corner of I-35W and Heritage Trace Parkway.
As Local Profile previously reported, as many as 56 Big Chicken restaurants are expected to open across Texas, in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin. The chicken franchise expanded across the U.S. beyond the initial locations in California and Las Vegas in 2018.
Currently, there are three Big Chicken locations in Texas: Austin, Houston and Richmond, with another set to open in Lubbock in 2024.
“Big Chicken fuses O’Neal’s home-cooked childhood favorites with today’s trending flavors,” a previous statement said. “From crispy chicken sandwiches and tenders to Cheez-It crusted mac n’ cheese and hand-crafted ice cream shakes, each menu item tells a story all the while offering guests an inside look into the life and personality of Shaquille O’Neal.”
There isn’t information as to where exactly additional locations will be set, but Collin County may not be out of the equation, as O’Neal purchased a home in the county in 2022.
“I would be stunned if Plano was not in the cards,” CEO Josh Halpern previously told The Dallas Morning News. Plano, Frisco and Prosper were looked into, but no leases have been signed.
Big Chicken offers a variety of sandwiches, salads, sliders and tenders. The big and sloppy consists of a fried chicken slab, mac and cheese, crispy fried onions and roasted garlic barbecue aioli. But the visit won’t be complete until you try Shaq’s signature Sammy sandwich and the Shaq attack, featuring fried chicken with pepper jack cheese, jalapeño slaw and spicy chipotle barbecue sauce.
