Shaquille O'Neal delights fans and police at Big Chicken launch at Houston

Shaquille O'Neal’s Big Chicken restaurant is finally in Texas. The NBA legend was recently in Houston to start his food chain in the Lone Star State.

The four-time champ met and mingled with excited fans and police officers who went to the Houston branch. O’Neal could be seen signing autographs and posing for photos during his stay in the restaurant.

Big Chicken first opened in 2018 in Las Vegas. Shaquille O'Neal went all out in the promotion by appearing in a TV series called Big Chicken Shaq. The restaurant was a hit based on its “home-cooked favorites and adds today’s trending flavors” mantra.

From Sin City, it expanded to more than 10 states including Arizona, California, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Texas. The franchise program of the brand made it one of the fastest-growing restaurants in the US.

Big Chicken has something quite interesting for Texans. The BIG food, BIG flavor and BIG fun will be a treat for them. It stays appropriately true to the saying that “everything’s bigger in Texas.” The BIG cookie, according to Shaq, is about the circumference of a basketball.

Many of the names on the menu are based on Shaquille O'Neal’s nicknames, family, events and relatives. The Shaq Attack, Big Aristotle and Lucille’s Macaroni are just examples of these.

O’Neal and partners Frank Fazil and Noordin Jhaver plan to open 50 Big Chicken stores in Texas alone. Besides going to the restaurant, anyone can also order online as it ships nationwide.

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Big Chicken is just one of Shaquille O'Neal’s investments in food chains

The LA Lakers legend has become one of the savviest businessmen around after retiring from basketball. Shaquille O'Neal has turned his popularity and charismatic personality to build a half-a-billion business empire.

Shaq invests in many opportunities. One of those he is heavily involved in is restaurants and food chains. He has reportedly paid more than $100 million to own or become a partner of over 150 restaurants. Five Guys Burgers, Auntie Anne’s, Papa John’s Pizza and Krispy Kreme.

Big Chicken, however, is the Hall of Famer's baby. He has reportedly overseen everything about this investment. O’Neal’s previous restaurant chains were ready-made enterprises. Big Chicken is something he helped build from the ground.

Shaq’s energy, charisma, generosity and ever-growing personality could turn Big Chicken into one of the biggest and most popular brands in the US.

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