The palate of Michigan is set for a slam dunk as NBA great Shaquille O’Neal expands his culinary footprint with the launch of a Big Chicken restaurant in Livingston County’s Hartland Township. According to reports from WWJ Newsradio, the doors will open tomorrow, adding to the burgeoning number of locations planned throughout Metro Detroit, Ann Arbor, Lansing, and Saginaw. The deal, which O'Neal signed last year with H & D Investments, is projected to introduce a total of 20 Big Chicken establishments across Michigan.

The fast-casual chain is not just about fried food. It boasts a menu featuring seven chicken sandwiches, including specialties like "Uncle Jerome’s Nashville Hot" and the "Shaq Attack," adorned with pepper jack cheese and spicy chipotle BBQ sauce. As the WWJ Newsradio outlines, it also serves up dishes reminiscent of O’Neal’s childhood, including Cheez-it crusted macaroni and cheese and indulgent "Dirty Fries," spiked with cheese sauce, bacon, banana peppers, and more.

Positioning itself for cultural impact, Big Chicken encourages community engagement, already committing to support local Hartland High School sports teams. "We want Big Chicken to be a community gathering place for Hartland residents," H&D General Manager Joselyn Burch explained, as per the Livingston Daily. The Hartland establishment has filled its workforce evenly with front-of-store and kitchen staff, totaling 28 employees.

In a gesture that connects commerce to community, and sports to succulence, the first 34 customers in line for the grand opening will receive a year of free Big Chicken food and drink, a nod to the jersey number O'Neal wore during his illustrious career in the NBA. While there are no certainties, fans might catch a glimpse of Shaq himself, as he's known for making appearances at new locations. The franchise seems invested in both its growth and involvement with the communities where it touches down, from Clio, the location of the state’s first Big Chicken, to the upcoming spot in Livonia. In a consistent push for expansion, Big Chicken is still actively recruiting staff for various roles at their Hartland outpost, as per the Detroit Free Press.