Heads up, Detroit suburbs… It’s your turn for a new Big Chicken restaurant! We’re giving you plenty of notice on this one, because you’re gonna want to be in line early. The first 34 guests in the door on opening day will get $10 in free food every week for a year!
This time, the new Big Chicken outlet is coming to Livonia, Michigan… Not too far west from downtown Detroit. The new location will offer both dine-in and carryout options and third-party delivery. The big celebration is set for Tuesday, October 15. And like we said, you may want to start lining up right now.
Why 34? Easy, really. That was the Big Man’s jersey number pretty much throughout his entire NBA career. The LA Lakers retired the number and hung it from the rafters of what was Staples Center (now Crypto Dot Com Arena) after O’Neal’s own retirement.
The restaurant is located at 30130 Plymouth Road, just across the street from the popular LA Fitness, if you’re checking Google Maps. No word yet if the big man himself will be on hand… But that’s certainly been known to happen. Guess you’ll just have to show up yourself and find out.
New Big Chicken location in Livonia, Michigan
The BIG Podcast with SHAQ
The Big Chicken chain was founded in 2018 by Shaq and his business partners. It’s already well-known for original, creative takes on classic chicken sandwiches and other Shaq-favs. The menu includes favorites like the “Shaq Attack,” featuring fried chicken, pepper jack cheese, jalapeño slaw, spicy chipotle BBQ sauce, and the “The Ultimate,” with fried chicken, mac and cheese, crispy fried onions, and roasted garlic BBQ aioli.
Some of the restaurants also feature locally-based specialties. This shop in Livonia is going to have it’s own locally-inspired menu addition. Be on the lookout for “Dunks” – savory boneless chicken pieces that are larger than nuggets but smaller than traditional tenders – along with seasoned traditional wings, available with a variety of sauces.
OK. Now. We’re. Hungry.
This particular shop is operated by a Michigan-based restaurant group. New store General Manager Joselyn Burch told a local newspaper that customers can expect a fun atmosphere with music always playing. “The thing I love the most…is the hospitality of it all,” she said. “When you walk into a Big Chicken, you’re walking into, we like to say, Shaquille’s home. We don’t have customers here, we have guests.”
Speaking of creativity, Shaq and his team have always been on the lookout for new, interesting and offbeat places to their restaurants. There’s a Big Chicken on board a Carnival Cruise Lines ship, one on the Las Vegas Strip, and also in various sports arenas, like New York’s UBS Arena (home of the New York Islanders), the Comcast Center in Philly, and the Footprint Center in Phoenix, home of the NBA Suns.
There are also Big Chicken stores in venues like the Moody Center in Austin, Texas – home of Austin City Limits, the Kansas City International Airport, and St. Louis’s Busch Stadium. Who knows where the Chicken will pop up next?
So Livonia.. You’ve been warned! Time to maybe get some camping gear – or at least sleep in the car – so you can be one of the first 34 in line at the new Big Chicken. See you there!