Shaq's Big Chicken lands in Rosemont, glazed donut sandwich unveiled at grand opening
ROSEMONT, Ill. - Chicken sandwich fans flocked to northwest suburban Rosemont on Tuesday, as a former NBA superstar staked his claim in the Chicago restaurant market for the first time.
Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken is becoming one of the fastest growing restaurant franchises in the country.
While it seems like every restaurant offers a chicken sandwich these days, finding a great chicken sandwich remains a holy grail quest for some foodies, which is why the long lines outside Big Chicken in Rosemont are a slam dunk.
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"I’ve been super excited anticipating their opening, so yeah, it’s worth the wait, I guess," said Kimberly Goins of Bensenville.
The line began forming around 4 a.m. because the first 34 customers in line received a card entitling them to one free chicken sandwich a week for the next year. During his NBA career, O’Neal’s jersey number was 34.
Shaq's Big Chicken to offer free food for a year at Rosemont grand opening
Shaq's Big Chicken restaurant will offer exclusive deals during its grand opening on Tuesday in Rosemont.
Josh Halpern, the CEO of the Big Chicken chain, explained what makes their chicken sandwich different.
"This is a fast, casual chicken chain. We have incredible chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, French fries, milkshakes," Halpern said.
O’Neal opened his first Big Chicken in Las Vegas in 2018. Now, there are 23 restaurants in more than a dozen states, including now for the first time in Illinois.
"And it was really (O’Neal’s) dream. Chicken means so much to him," said Halpern. "It was his dream to create his own chicken chain. And that’s how we started."
And for the Chicago opening, they cooked up a Chicago specialty: a chicken patty in a Stan’s glazed donut called the Stanwich.
"Look at the flavor, the spice and the natural heat," said Big Chicken executive Samuel Stanovich. "Then pair it with the sweet of this maple, glazed doughnut. It is outstanding."
And like their namesake, all the food is oversized.
"I have our world famous big cookie," said employee Carlos Collier, showing off a cookie bigger than a dinner plate. "It’s the circumference of an actual NBA basketball, 9.55 inches. And Shaq can palm this in his hand, real easy."
O’Neal is expected to make an appearance at the Rosemont store in early August, when he’ll also be performing at Lollapalooza.
Big Chicken will open a second location on Roselle Road in Schaumburg within the next few months.