GILBERT, AZ — Shaquille O'Neal surprised several members of the Valley this Sunday with a visit to his Gilbert restaurant “Big Chicken.”
The restaurant is a sponsor of several basketball teams in the Valley. On Sunday, some of the players got to meet O'Neal himself.
"I like that they sponsor the six basketball teams. That's awesome," O'Neal said.
When asked what it means to him to help out local teams, O'Neal said, "I was always taught, growing up in a military family, just do the right thing. I don't want credit for it."
He continued: "There's a lot of people that are generous — they don't get the credit. So if they don't get the credit, I don't really want credit for doing stuff that you're supposed to do."
To see more of ABC15's one-on-one with O'Neal, watch the video in the player above.
BIG CHICKEN IN THE VALLEY
In an interview with ABC15 in 2022, Steve Christensen confirmed that he and Reid Richards are the franchisees for the state and have agreed to open at least 12 Big Chicken locations in Arizona over the next couple of years.
Fast forward to October 2023, Christensen confirmed to ABC15 that the plan is to open at least two locations per year and to have more storefronts throughout the Valley.
“We're also looking at locations in Queen Creek. We're looking at Mesa, we're looking at Chandler, we're looking in the West Valley as well in Peoria and Surprise. We plan to dot all over the state...we figure that we can probably get more than 12 locations,” said Christensen.
The latest update on the fast-casual restaurant is that it’s headed to Footprint Center. When will it open? That is still to be announced.
WHAT’S OPEN NOW
- Gilbert storefront: Where: 366 N Gilbert RD, #106
- Tempe: Mullett Arena [411 S. Packard Drive] - Level 2 Northwest Concessions
MENU RECAP
“So, a lot of the menu [has] come from ideas that Shaq came about with his mom. They created some of the recipes together...also with the guys in the kitchen that, you know, develop the menu,” shared Christensen.
“The big sandwiches [we have] are ‘The Ultimate' - it has mac-and-cheese on it and a big chicken patty to go along with it, along with crispy onion strings. We have a sandwich also called the ‘Shaq Attack’ which has jalapeño slaw on top of it. All the patties are at least five ounces, which is a pretty big size compared to most places,” explained Christensen.
