Imagine your empire, built on crispy chicken and the larger-than-life persona of Shaq himself, suddenly hitting turbulence. One minute, Big Chicken is soaring, announcing new locations and blockbuster partnerships. The next? Doors slamming shut in Arkansas, whispers of failure echoing through the fryers. Shaquille O’Neal’s fast-food dream, a brand that promised to redefine the chicken game, faced a gut check in 2024. Shaquille O’Neal’s fast-growing brand made waves with new locations and major partnerships, proving himself as a rising force in the food industry. But not everything was smooth sailing. While the brand expanded beyond borders, it also faced some unexpected bumps along the way.
Back in August 2024, Big Chicken was on the verge of launching its first location in Fort Worth, Texas. But as excitement built, trouble hit in Arkansas. Three Northwest Arkansas locations—one on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and two in Springdale—shut down at the same time. These spots barely opened a year before closing their doors, leaving customers surprised and raising questions about what went wrong.
But now, things are finally looking up for Shaq’s chicken empire. Big Chicken is gearing up to open at 448 E. College Ave., inside the newly developed oLiv Hetzel. Kandy Weader, a commercial real estate agent, shared the news in a Facebook post, confirming Big Chicken as the first commercial tenant in the 12-story high-rise. The building, owned by Core Spaces, debuted in 2024, and adding Shaq’s brand to the mix is a big win.
Even better, Big Chicken’s State College spot is expected to open just in time for Penn State’s fall 2025 semester. The expansion is part of a larger push into Pennsylvania, backed by franchisees Harsimrat, Shubreet, Samarjit, and Pukhraj Sidhu. With the State College location leading the way, Shaq’s brand is betting big on its East Coast presence.
So, how did Shaquille O’Neal Big Chicken turn things around so quickly? One major factor could be its recent partnership with Craveworthy, a restaurant chain with a growing influence in the industry.
Shaq’s Big Chicken got bigger with new partnership
Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken is already making big moves, with over 40 locations open and a staggering 350 more in the pipeline. But now, the game just changed. The fast-casual brand has locked in a powerhouse partnership with Craveworthy Brands—the name behind Genghis Grill, Taim Mediterranean Kitchen, and Hot Chicken Takeover. And with a nationwide expansion plan of 272 new restaurants by 2029, this deal could push Big Chicken into a whole new league.
But what does this partnership actually mean? Well, Craveworthy isn’t just throwing in some cash and calling it a day. The company is stepping in as a managing partner, investor, and stakeholder. Meanwhile, Big Chicken’s CEO, Josh Halpern, isn’t stepping aside—he’s doubling down. Not only will he continue leading Big Chicken, but he’s also taking on the role of chief business officer at Craveworthy.
And Halpern is all in. “I’m excited to team up with Gregg [Majewski, CEO] and the Craveworthy team; it’s a marriage of two big-time talented organizations,” he shared. “Gregg and I have a strong professional relationship and he’s the type of leader we’ll match with well. I feel fantastic about our future.”
Not only that, the numbers also give some optimism. In 2023, Craveworthy generated $100 million in revenue. And now they are on track to double that to $200 million by the end of 2024. Not only that, Craveworthy is also expecting to generate $120 million this year.
The real question now? Can this powerhouse duo take Big Chicken to the next level? Given this latest move, the odds are looking pretty good.
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