Shaquille O'Neal Bringing His Chicken Restaurant To Nashville

Shaquille O’Neal is making big moves in Tennessee, bringing his very own chicken “shaq” to Nashville.

Big Chicken, co-founded by the former NBA star in 2018, is set to open 10 restaurants around Tennessee thanks to a new franchise agreement with a local restauranteur, per WKRN. The first location will open in Nashville at a to-be-determined location and date with other locations expected in Knoxville and Chattanooga.

“Nashville is a prime market and one we’ve been excited to expand into and Knoxville and Chattanooga are incredible college town markets that we’re excited to enter as well,” said Big Chicken CEO Josh Halpern. “We look forward to supporting Jim [Richards] and his team as they introduce Music City and Eastern Tennessee to BIG flavor, BIG food and BIG fun!”

Big Chicken is known for its flavor-packed menu, including items like the “Big & Sloppy” fried chicken sandwich with fried onions and macaroni and cheese or the “Shaq Attack,” with its jalapeño slaw and spicy chipotle barbecue sauce. The “Big Cookie” dessert reportedly is the same circumference as an NBA basketball, harkening back to the restaurant’s co-founder’s past.

Restauranteur Jim Richards owns and operates 13 Five Guys restaurants around Tennessee and Georgia and believes Big Chicken will be a great fit for the Volunteer State.

“The food, service and overall experience at Big Chicken are truly unmatched and as someone who’s lived in the area for over 40 years, I’m confident that we’ll become a quick hit for folks in Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga,” said Richards.