Two more developments from our man Shaq and his business empire. Specifically, the restaurant corner of his portfolio. Even more specifically, his personal ownership in his own fast-food chain, Big Chicken.
A recent post here on the ShaqFu Radio blog gave details about the grand opening of O’Neal’s latest Big Chicken, in a west-side suburb of Houston, Texas. Well, as they say in the Lone Star State, everything is bigger in Texas. And that was certainly on display as O’Neal had the Grand Opening of his latest Big Chicken restaurant.
Now, just for background info, this was certainly no “regular” opening of a Big Chicken franchise. This one had the big man himself in attendance! Word had gone out before the opening that O’Neal would be there, ready to take selfies with fans, friends and anyone else stopping by to celebrate the restaurant’s big day.
And turn out they did…wow! Even the mayor of Houston was there, along with that must have been several thousand close friends. Videos of the event showed cars and people lined up for what appeared to be miles around the restaurant..all trying to get inside for a look at the new digs, and of course to chat up Shaq.
After a time, so many people had showed up that the Houston Fire Department swooped in and shut things down… saying there were just too many people crowded into such a small space! You’ve probably seen those signs in restaurants and other commercial buildings… talking about the maximum occupancy of the building. Sure, we’ve all seen them, but usually it’s not an issue. This time, it was the real thing!
After the Fire Marshall stepped in, things quieted down, and the grand opening party continued in a slightly toned-down manner. Of course never one to miss an opportunity for some headline-grabbing and marketing attention, Shaq posted the pics and story to his Instagram page, bragging about the crowds – and of course the restaurant.
Those who did make it inside for the party were indeed greeted by the NBA legend himself. Shaq signed autographs, took pictures, and kept reminding people of how grateful he is for their support.
The story in Houston isn’t the only Big Chicken story to cover today. You fans of the big man and his fast-food chain in New Jersey will soon see a few new locations of the restaurant in your area!
Shaq’s Big Chicken recently signed an agreement to bring six locations to New Jersey. For now, exact locations and opening dates have not yet been determined, but the first location will be somewhere in Middlesex County, which is in the far northern part of the state, close to New York City.
For those keeping score, Big Chicken currently operates 15 eateries, but has more than 250 locations in development around the country. There are also Big Chicken locations on three Carnival Cruise ships, and there are outlets in a couple of big sports arenas, too. The first Big Chicken opened only a few years ago – in 2018 in – Las Vegas.
