The culinary court of Clio, Michigan, garnered a new giant with the opening of Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken today. According to ABC12, this marks the franchise's first foray into the Michigan market, satisfying local cravings at 11476 North Linden Road. The Big Chicken brand, founded by the basketball icon in Las Vegas in 2018, is on an expansion play, aiming to quickly establish a poultry empire within the state.

Franchisee Hafaid Gobah, a local to the region, chose Clio to serve up Shaq’s chicken delicacies. "I'm from around here. That's why I decided to start here," Gobah said, revealing his decision in an interview with ABC12. Keen to quickly expand, plans are already hatching for a second location in Hartland later this year. But they aren’t stopping there, with a vision to spread across Michigan, pinpointing areas like Metro Detroit, Lansing, Ann Arbor, Saginaw, and Mount Pleasant, according to banana1015.

Hungry patrons can expect to indulge in a slew of chicken sandwiches, tenders, sliders, and sides, free from hormones and from cage-free birds. Big Chicken's hours are set from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM, as they aim to deliver on their promise of "big flavor, big food, and big fun”. Among the restaurant’s mouthwatering offerings detailed on banana1015, guests can also enjoy a variety of salads and sweets to complement the hearty meal options.

The grand opening wasn't just a treat for the taste buds; it also presented fans with a chance to net a signed basketball from the NBA legend himself. "The soft opening event of Big Chicken offered visitors an opportunity to win a signed basketball from Shaquille O’Neal by scanning the QR code in-store," reported midmichigannow. The chicken joint is also set to celebrate Shaq’s birthday on March 6th, promising free sandwiches for a year to the first 34 customers, a nod to O'Neal's former jersey number with the Los Angeles Lakers.