Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken Chain — Courtesy: Mike Coppola | Getty Images
A “big” franchise is coming to the Sunshine State’s Panhandle in a “big” way.
The Panhandle Restaurant Group signed a commitment deal with “Big Chicken,” whose founder is former NBA star, Shaquille O’Neal.
O’Neal is primarily known for his years playing for the Los Angeles Lakers alongside Kobe Bryant, but he spent a large part of his career in Florida. He played four seasons for the Orlando Magic and another four seasons for the Miami Heat.
The company is now debating opening a future Big Chicken location in Florida.
“Unbelievable chicken sandwiches,” CEO of Panhandle Restaurant Group Chris McMillan said.
McMillan said that is the only proper way to describe Big Chicken. Soon, Bay County in the Florida Panhandle will be home to not only one, but potentially four Big Chicken restaurants.
“Right now, we’ve got four that we are looking at,” McMillan said. “We’ve got a commitment deal with a minimum of 40.”
Josh Halpern, the CEO of Big Chicken, said the Panhandle would lead their company’s expansion.
“We’ve just had two open the last couple of years and then the pandemic hit and Shaquille O’Neal said ‘Let’s wait, and when we come out of the pandemic, let’s really propel forward,’” Halpern said.
So far, Halpern said they have not experienced any major supply chain disruptions that would lead to delays in opening locations in Bay County.
He said residents can expect Big Chicken to bring a unique Southern flair that’s unlike any other restaurant in Florida.
“Our menu is just a little bit different,” Halpern said. “He wanted to make a big sandwich and over-the-top just like his good friend Charles Barkley is. So we have the Charles Barkley sandwich which has onion straws, and mac and cheese on the sandwich. You can’t exactly find that at other chicken chains.”
They also want the local restaurant to bring a unique sandwich inspired by the Florida area. Halpern said they are working hard with McMillan to come up with creative sandwich ideas.
Big Chicken hopes to help the county’s school district as well.
“Knock on wood, if everything goes smoothly, it’ll be early 2023,” McMillan said of a potential opening date.
He said they are currently working to secure the first location and are far along in that process.
The Panhandle Restaurant Group is working on multiple other restaurants as well. One is PJ’s Coffeeshop out of New Orleans, and the other is C-Mac’s, which will be a casual seafood restaurant.
They also have a concept they have been working on for a taco-themed restaurant, but that’s still in its beginning phases.
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Mike has more than 30 years of experience in marketing and public relations. He once owned his own agency and has worked with some of the largest brands in the world.
