Founded by Basketball Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O’Neal, Big Chicken is taking advantage of the chicken sandwich craze and charting some serious growth. The company recently signed a deal to expand to central and South Florida, according to recent coverage in the South Florida Business Journal.
Based in Davie, franchise group DMD Ventures is planning to open Big Chicken locations in Miami, West Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale, along with Tampa and Orlando, the coverage says. It adds that, while the individual locations have yet to be determined, they will have a 2,200-2,800 square foot footprint and will hire about 30 employees.
“At the time, we weren’t looking to add another franchise brand to our portfolio, but when we came across Big Chicken and looked into the concept, it became a no-brainer,” Fred Burgess, Co-CEO of DMD Ventures, says in the Journal coverage.
The Big Chicken menu centers several takes on the crispy chicken sandwich, including the Shaq Attack (pepper jack cheese, jalapeño slaw, spicy chipotle bbq sauce) and the Charles Barkley (mac & cheese, crispy fried onions, roasted garlic bbq aioli), also available as sliders. Popcorn chicken, chicken tenders, and sidekicks like BC Fries and Lucille’s Mac & Cheese with Cheez-It Crust fill out the menu. For dessert, guests can choose from a variety of shakes, ice cream sandwiches, and soft-serve cones.
Stay tuned for more information on locations and opening dates for the Miami, West Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale locations as soon as it becomes available.