Big Chicken, the fast-growing restaurant chain from NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, has announced a new location coming to Schaumburg at 1245 N. Roselle Rd.
Before the company’s newest Schaumburg location opens, franchisee Ken Patel is getting ready to open the company’s first Illinois location in Rosemont at 9421 W. Higgins Rd. The company will make its Chicagoland debut in early June 2023, according to the Daily Herald. There is no exact opening date for the new 1,800-square-foot Schaumburg location, but it will move into the Schaumburg Corners Shopping Mall. Schaumburg trustees approved a parking variation that was the only thing stopping Big Chicken from moving forward.
Because of this variation, Big Chicken Schaumburg will only be required to have 22 parking spots rather than the original 43 required parking spots. Patel says parking for the quick-serve lunch and dinner restaurant won’t be an issue. It will have seating for 20 customers and focus on catering and takeout. As for the Rosemont location, the city’s village board agreed to increase its contribution for tenant build-out costs to $450,000. This increase will help pay for a life-size statue of O’Neal that will be placed in front of the restaurant.
The new Big Chickens will feature some of O’Neal’s favorite home-cooked meals, such as crispy chicken sandwiches and tenders, Cheez-It-crusted mac n’ cheese, and handcrafted ice cream shakes. These aren’t the only new locations coming from the company, which debuted in 2018. Big Chicken plans to open new locations in Tennessee, Texas, Washington, California, and Louisiana. The company recently opened its second Arizona location in Gilbert under local franchisees Steve Christensen and Reid Richards, who plan to open a dozen Big Chickens in the Valley.
