mobanmarketARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — Considered one of the greatest basketball players of all-time, Shaquille O’Neal did it all during his legendary career. Retired since 2011, the NBA Hall of Famer continues to score in a growing number of other areas, including business ownership.
Soon, O’Neal’s restaurant chain, Big Chicken, will open its second Illinois location at 100 West Rand Road (Arlington Plaza shopping center). The news of the new restaurant comes one year after a Big Chicken opened in Rosemont. With locations in 18 states, the Rosemont restaurant was the first to open in the Midwest.
Big Chicken tells Patch the restaurant will open in early fall, but has not set a specific opening date.
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“The reception from the Rosemont community has been incredible. Now, we’re ready to expand into Arlington Heights,” said Kaushik Patel, a part of the established ownership group set to develop the brand throughout the Chicagoland area. “The restaurant will be in the perfect position to attract a variety of guests, from daily commuters to families making the trip to and from the multitude of elementary and high schools in the area.”
Big Chicken, described as a fast-casual restaurant chain, was founded in 2018 by JRS Hospitality, a Las Vegas-based ownership group; Authentic Brands Group, a multi-national, multi-billion-dollar brand development, marketing and entertainment company; and O’Neal.
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According to its website, Big Chicken “fuses O’Neal’s home-cooked childhood favorites with today’s trending flavors.” Among the menu highlights according to the owners are crispy chicken sandwiches and tenders, Cheez-It crusted mac n’cheese and hand-crafted ice cream shakes
“Each menu item tells a story, all while offering guests an inside look into the life and personality of Shaquille O’Neal,” the restaurant boasts.
Big Chicken currently has 40 locations, but is planning to expand to more than 350-plus, including more in the Chicagoland area.
The owners believe the Arlington Heights location is perfect, as it’s situated “along the heavily trafficked intersection of Palatine and Rand Road, a short distance away from Route 53.”
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Offerings at the Arlington Heights location will include The Original Big Chicken sandwich, Uncle Jerome’s Nashville Hot (Nashville Hot Chicken, lettuce, mayo and pickles), and The Ultimate (mac & cheese, crispy fried onions and roasted garlic BBQ aioli), along with the crispy crinkle cut fries and delicious ice cream milkshakes.
“Being located in the area, I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with the Patel family throughout the entire site selection process,” said Sam Stanovich, senior vice president of franchise leadership at Big Chicken. “They couldn’t have chosen a better location for their next Big Chicken, and we’re looking forward to adding Arlington Heights to the list of places where Chicagoans can enjoy our BIG food including SeatGeek Stadium and Wintrust Arena, which officially opened earlier this spring.”
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