ST. LOUIS – Take me out to Big Chicken!
Legendary basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken meets Major League Baseball beginning on March 30 with the opening of its newest location at Busch Stadium in thanks to the brand’s partnership with Delaware North Sportservice.
“Big Chicken is quickly becoming a household name, and for all the right reasons – especially their commitment to chef-driven quality,” said Daniel Fetcho, vice president of operations for Delaware North Sportservice. “We’re grateful to grow our relationship with the Big Chicken team to include Busch Stadium, as we know it’ll be a big hit with Cardinals fans.”
Home of the 11-time World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals, Busch Stadium frequently welcomes enthusiastic crowds of baseball fanatics who will soon experience BIG flavor, BIG food and BIG fun. The new stadium location features an originally crafted menu item unique to the city of St. Louis in partnership with local artisanal doughnut shop, Vincent Van Doughnut. Appropriately named the “314” after the St. Louis area code, the sandwich is comprised of the brand’s Nashville Hot Crispy Chicken with Shaq Sauce, and served on a Cardinal Red Maple Bacon doughnut. Additional offerings at the stadium include the M.D.E. (Shaq Sauce, chicken breast and B&B Pickles) and the Uncle Jerome (Nashville Hot Chicken, lettuce, mayo and pickles), along with fries and a cookie the circumference of an NBA basketball.
Big Chicken concession stands will be located in section 135, along the first base line of the main concourse, and in section 358, on the third base side of the terrace level.
“The first day I met Shaquille O’Neal was when I was still at Anheuser-Busch and we ended up together at Busch Stadium for a game. Now, through our partnership with Delaware North, we will bring our BIG fun, BIG flavor and BIG food to Cardinals Nation”,” said Josh Halpern, CEO of Big Chicken. “We’re proud to partner with St. Louis’s iconic doughnut shop, Vincent Van Doughnut, to offer a specially crafted chicken sandwich unlike any other on our menu. Let’s go BIG, Cardinals!”
The second location in Missouri, Big Chicken in Busch Stadium will join the brand’s first-ever airport location at Kansas City International Airport, where the restaurant’s high-quality offerings satisfy the cravings of travelers from across the globe. Outside of Missouri, Big Chicken has quickly become a staple to high-profile arenas on a nationwide scale, including ASU’s Mullett Arena, New York’s UBS Arena, The Moody Center in Austin, Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, Palm Spring’s Acrisure Arena and Baltimore’s CFG Bank Arena. In addition, Big Chicken has restaurants open in Las Vegas (Paradise Road and Tropicana Avenue), Los Angeles (Glendale and Valencia), Seattle, in the Dayton, Ohio region and on three Carnival Cruise ships.
To learn more about Big Chicken in Busch Stadium, visit www.bigchicken.com.
To learn more about the Big Chicken franchise opportunity, visit www.bigchicken.com/franchise-information.
Follow Big Chicken on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and TikTok to stay up to date on new restaurants, menu items and brand updates.
About Big Chicken
Founded in 2018, Big Chicken is backed by a dream team of partners; JRS Hospitality, an accomplished Las Vegas-based ownership group; Authentic Brands Group, a multi-national, multi-billion-dollar brand development, marketing and entertainment company; and Hall of Fame basketball star Shaquille O’Neal. Big Chicken fuses O’Neal’s home-cooked childhood favorites with today’s trending flavors. From crispy chicken sandwiches and tenders to Cheez-It® crusted mac n’ cheese and hand-crafted ice cream shakes, each menu item tells a story all while offering guests an inside look into the life and personality of Shaquille O’Neal. With six traditional locations currently open and several in the development pipeline, Big Chicken is prepped to begin U.S. and international expansion through franchising.
To learn more about Big Chicken, visit www.bigchicken.com.
About Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal is one of the world’s most successful athlete-turned-businessmen, whose accomplishments both on and off the court have translated into a highly sought-after consumer brand. As an entrepreneur, sports analyst, DJ, restaurateur, and brand ambassador, Shaquille O’Neal’s signature “Business of Fun” mantra resonates throughout each of his countless endeavors.
The 15-time NBA All-Star’s unprecedented athletic career spanned nearly two decades and earned him countless awards and honors, including NBA Most Valuable Player, NBA Rookie of the Year, four NBA Championships and a First Ballot NBA Hall of Famer. Currently, O’Neal is an analyst on TNT’s Emmy Award-winning “Inside the NBA.”
O’Neal, who has a PhD in Leadership and Education, established The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation which provides resources for underserved youth. He also gives back through a number of annual philanthropic programs including Shaq to School, Shaqsgiving, and Shaq a Claus.
The launch of his Las Vegas eatery Big Chicken has further elevated Shaquille’s status as he has positioned himself as a successful restaurateur. The brand currently has sites open in Las Vegas, Glendale, CA, two Carnival Cruise Ships (Mardi Gras and Radiance), Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, UBS Arena in New York with many more locations under development.
Follow Shaquille O’Neal on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Authentic Brands Group
Authentic Brands Group (Authentic) is a global brand development, marketing and entertainment platform, which owns a portfolio of more than 40 iconic and world-renowned Lifestyle, Entertainment and Media brands. Headquartered in New York City, with offices around the world, Authentic connects strong brands with best-in-class partners and a global network of operators, distributors and retailers to build long-term value in the marketplace. Its brands have an expansive retail footprint, including more than 9,100-plus freestanding stores and shop-in-shops in more than 150 countries and generate approximately $24 billion in global annual retail sales.
Authentic is committed to transforming brands by delivering powerful storytelling, compelling content, innovative business models and immersive experiences. It creates and activates original marketing strategies to drive the success of its brands across all consumer touchpoints, platforms and emerging media. Authentic’s brand portfolio includes Marilyn Monroe®, Elvis Presley®, Muhammad Ali®, Shaquille O’Neal®, David Beckham®, Dr. J®, Greg Norman®, Neil Lane®, Thalia®, Sports Illustrated®, Reebok®, Eddie Bauer®, Spyder®, Volcom®, Airwalk®, Nautica®, Izod®, Brooks Brothers®, Barneys New York®, Judith Leiber®, Ted Baker®, Hervé Léger®, Frye®, Juicy Couture®, Vince Camuto®, Lucky Brand®, Aéropostale®, Forever 21®, Nine West®, Jones New York®, Tretorn®, Prince®, Van Heusen®, Arrow®, Hickey Freeman®, Hart Schaffner Marx® and Thomasville®.
For more information, visit authentic.com.