shaq attack
Shaquille O'Neal's chicken restaurant plucks first Houston location
Shaquille O'Neal's chicken chain has identified its first Houston location. Big Chicken will open this fall in the Westchase district at 9660 Westheimer Rd.
The NBA Hall of Famer and media personality is the primary investor in Big Chicken, a Las Vegas-based restaurant with locations in eight states as well as on Carnival cruise ships. It serves fried chicken sandwiches with a range of toppings such as the 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).
Big Chicken also serves fried chicken tenders, sliders, and milkshakes. Sides include Cheez-It-crusted mac and cheese, jalapeño slaw, and fries (both potato and sweet potato).
Although the new restaurant will be Big Chicken's first Houston location, it won't be the only one for very long. Earlier this year, the restaurant signed an agreement with Fazil Malik, Frank Malik, and Noordin Jhaver to open 50 locations across Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas. The Maliks operate gas stations and convenience stores via their company Northwest Petroleum, while Jhaver brings experience as a Sonic franchisee via his company Drew Real Estate Holdings.
“This first lease kicks off our growth plans for Big Chicken in Texas within four of the country’s largest cities,” said Josh Halpern, CEO of Big Chicken. “Fazil, Frank and Noordin have impressed us since our first meeting, and we are thrilled to celebrate this incredible milestone with them.”
“Big Chicken wouldn’t be growing like it is without the team behind it,” O’Neal said in April when Big Chicken announced the agreement. “My team has done a fantastic job making sure we’re growing in the right way, with the right people. Now, we’re going even bigger in Texas and I’m excited to be teammates with Fazil, Frank, and Noordin.”