Wow… Big Chicken continues to get bigger and bigger. The restaurant chain that boasts our man Shaquille O’Neal as one of the majority owners is announcing a new location coming soon to central Houston. Texas Big Chicken fans, enjoy!
The NBA Hall of Famer and business tycoon says the new store will open next year in the Heights area of the city, just west of downtown, in a space on Yale Street that used to be occupied by a local bakery.
Houston is apparently a big market for the Big Chicken franchise. There’s already another store in West Houston that opened back in April of this year… and there’s another that’s scheduled to open later this year in the Richmond area.
Big Chicken company headquarters is in Las Vegas, where one of the very first stores opened for business. (There was one other that came before the Vegas location, but it’s aboard a Carnival Cruise Lines ship. Pretty cool, eh?) The restaurant serves fried chicken sandwiches in some mouthwatering combinations. Think Big & Sloppy (mac and cheese, fried onions), the Big Aristotle (fried onions, Muenster, Memphis-style barbecue sauce), and the Shaq Attack (pepper jack, jalapeño slaw, spicy chipotle barbecue sauce).
O’Neal and his Texas franchise partners Fazil Malik, Frank Malik, and Noordin Jhaver says they’re planning on opening upwards of 50 Big Chicken locations across Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas. Currently, the Maliks operate gas stations and convenience stores through their company Northwest Petroleum, while Jhaver brings experience as a Sonic restaurant franchisee via his company Drew Real Estate Holdings.
In a statement from the Texas company, Frank Malik said, “Coming off our successful grand opening celebration in Houston this past month, we’re thrilled to be able to fill the growing demand for Big Chicken’s big food, big flavor, and big fun with our next location in the up-and-coming Greater Heights neighborhood. Big Chicken is the perfect brand for the booming area, and we are excited to share it with our community.”
If you have been reading the ShaqFu Radio blog for any time, you know that when a Big Chicken opens for business, it’s a really, really big deal. Shaq himself was in Houston for that area’s very first restaurant opening back in June. That led to a crowd of thousands showing up, including the Houston Mayor and other local dignitaries.
Meanwhile, the company continues to expand, looking for new locations in fast-growing areas around the country. In addition, Big Chicken has taken a different approach in some areas, putting restaurant outlets in major sports arenas. For example, there’s a Big Chicken in the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, where the NHL’s Seattle Kraken play.
Keep your eyes open…there’s a chance a Big Chicken may be coming soon to a neighborhood near you!