Shaq’s popular chicken restaurant has closed one of its Las Vegas locations, but the brand continues to grow nationwide.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Big Chicken restaurant on West Tropicana Avenue has officially shut its doors, leaving the flagship location at 4480 Paradise Road as the only remaining Big Chicken in Las Vegas.
One Gone, But More To Come
The closure marks a small setback for Shaquille O’Neal’s fast-casual fried chicken empire, but it does not signal a slowdown.
As Complex reported, Big Chicken is far from going out of business. The company continues to expand across the United States and internationally.
The reason behind the closure of the West Tropicana location, which opened in January 2023, has not been publicly disclosed.
The original Big Chicken, which opened in 2018, was Shaq’s first foray into the highly competitive chicken sandwich market.
The flagship restaurant made a splash with a celebrity-filled orange carpet event and quickly became known for its bold, indulgent menu.
The brand promises hormone-free and antibiotic-free ingredients, aligning with Shaq’s vision of quality comfort food with a larger-than-life personality.
As Finurah previously reported, Big Chicken began offering franchise opportunities in 2019, with startup costs ranging from $450,000 to $1.4 million.
Franchisees pay a $40,000 franchise fee, along with 5 percent of sales and 2 percent for combined national and local marketing. These opportunities have helped fuel the brand’s rapid growth outside Las Vegas, with more than 30 locations around the nation.
Shaq co-owns the brand alongside Authentic Brands Group, a major brand development company, and JRS Hospitality.
In July of this year, Big Chicken launched a revamped menu after joining the Craveworthy Brands portfolio, Restaurant Business Online reported.
According to Craveworthy’s VP of culinary, Jax Sperling, the goal of the menu refresh — new category called Shaq Snacks, featuring smaller chicken tender sandwiches with toppings like elote, fried cheese curds, and spicy sauces — is to drive trial, boost traffic, and keep Big Chicken’s signature over-the-top style intact.
