Big Chicken, a fast-food restaurant chain founded six years ago by basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille "Shaq" O'Neal, will soon open its second Chattanooga restaurant in as many months with the addition of a downtown outlet in the former All Books location at 410 Broad St., which has been empty for the past couple of years.
The opening of Shaq's newest Big Chicken outlet will come April 15, when many Americans will be settling up with Uncle Sam and paying their annual tax bills on the tax filing deadline day. But for the first 34 people in line when the downtown Chattanooga Big Chicken opens at 11 a.m. that day, Big Chicken will give away free chicken sandwiches once a month for the next year.
The number 34 represents O'Neal's iconic jersey, which was officially retired in 2012, during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers. O'Neal pioneered the Big Chicken concept in New Orleans in 2018 designed to be, like the 7-foot-1 basketball star, bigger than most others.
"Like Shaq, Big Chicken is big food and big fun, and so far it's been very well received in Chattanooga," restaurateur Jim Richards said in a telephone interview Friday.
In March, Richards opened his first Big Chicken restaurant at 5118 Hixson Pike at the site of a former Steak 'n Shake, which closed two years ago, and Richards said the response in the first five weeks has been strong. A flock of customers lined up on opening day, and Richards quipped that since then, "I think we've fed almost everybody in Chattanooga."
Richards is a former franchise sales vice president for the Krystal Co. who now operates the local Five Guys and Fiamma Pizza Co. restaurants. Under his franchise agreement with Big Chicken, he plans on opening about 20 restaurants in Middle and East Tennessee over time.
(READ MORE: Popeyes opens in Hixson as restaurants grow near Northgate Mall)
After opening the first units in Chattanooga, Richards is opening a third Big Chicken outlet in the Nashville suburb of Antioch by this fall.
"We're working hard to find additional locations here in Chattanooga as well as in Knoxville and the Nashville area," Richards said.
The new downtown Big Chicken restaurant will open with 40 employees and, like the Hixson location, will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Unlike the Hixson site, however, the downtown Big Chicken will also eventually include a bar serving both beer and liquor.
Richards said the Broad Street eatery will initially open April 15 without alcohol sales since it has yet to gain final approval from the Chattanooga Beer Board or state regulators for beer and wine sales.
"This is right downtown where all the tourists go and it is right across the street from the Five Guys restaurant, which we also operate and does a tremendous business," Richards said of the Broad Street site of the new Big Chicken. "It's just a good opportunity to bring this brand downtown. We like downtown a lot with both more residents and tourists coming downtown."
Richards, who has worked in the restaurant industry for more than four decades, said his experience has taught him the importance of "creating a wow" experience for customers.
"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 we'll become a quick hit for folks in Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga," Richards said in 2022 when he first signed the franchise agreement to bring the concept to Middle and East Tennessee.
(READ MORE: Chattanooga-area business openings and closings in March 2024)
Big Chicken has already grown to nearly two dozen stores with plans to open more than a half dozen other locations in the next few months. From crispy chicken sandwiches and tenders to Cheez-It crusted macaroni and cheese and hand-crafted ice cream shakes, each menu item tells a story about O'Neal while offering guests an inside look into the life and personality of the hoops star, according to a company news release.
The menu features the original Big Chicken sandwich for $7.99 and the bigger "Shaq Attack" chicken sandwich for $8.29. Popcorn chicken boxes with hand-breaded diced chicken thighs range from $8.29 to $10.79, and three-piece tender chicken meals are priced at $7.79 each. Big Chicken also offers salads, fries, milk shakes and treats.
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6340.