Here on the ShaqFu Radio blog, we’ve had lots of announcements and posts for the big man’s Big Chicken restaurant chain. But – we gotta be honest here – this is the most exciting one yet!
Why is that? Well, the new location for the latest, greatest Big Chicken is none other than Orlando, Florida, just a short drive away from the offices of the ShaqFu blog! We can’t wait to try out the place – and maybe hang with the big man during Grand Opening celebrations (stay tuned for that…)
According to our friends at WESH-TV in Orlando, the new Big Chicken is going in at the popular Market at Southside plaza, which already features a number of neighborhood-friendly fast food and sit-down eateries. (And of course for those that know Florida shopping centers, a Publix grocery store at the center of it all.)
The TV news report says only that this particular Big Chicken is planning on opening later this year… no other specific date has been set. Still, here at the ShaqFu blog offices, the excitement has already started! We hope it’s the same for you, too.
Shaq showin’ off Big Chicken on Carnival Cruise Lines.
For the Big Chicken franchise, this is very much a normal expansion announcement. Over the past couple of years, the restaurant, headed up by O’Neal and several other business partners, has blazed some new territory when it comes to finding locations for their new outlets.
One of the most recently opened locations is in Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, home to the NHL’s Seattle Kraken hockey team. Along with that arena, there’s a Big Chicken all the way on the other side of the country, in the UBS Arena, home to the New York Islanders NHL squad.
The chain actually got its start at sea. The first Big Chicken was located on a Carnival Cruise Ship. Makes good sense, since our man Shaq is the semi-official CFO – “Chief Fun Officer” for the cruise lines. He appears in many of the popular cruise lines TV commercials and other promotional materials.
Shaq’s business empire continues to expand. Regular readers of the ShaqFu Radio blog know that O’Neal has leveraged his post-NBA career popularity by becoming a spokesman and commercial / marketing partner to a lot of different brands, including Carnival Cruise Lines, The General Insurance and others.
He’s also deeply involved in several businesses both on and off TV and the internet. Along with being a regular on TV commercials for Papa John’s Pizza, O’Neal is also on the Board of Directors for the company. He also owns several of the company’s franchise stores, mainly in the Atlanta area.
With the Big Chicken restaurant chain, Shaq has jumped into owning and operating his own business, not just serving as a marketing partner. Big Chicken continues to grow and expand nationwide. Seems like newly-announced locations are coming out on a regular basis.
Where will Big Chicken land next? Stay tuned… and get ready to hop (or fly) over to Orlando for the next “Big” grand opening.