Shaquille O'Neal after opening Big Chicken outlet in $1.5 billion arena plans to roll out 20 more units in Michigan

Shaquille O'Neal is known for his incredible NBA career that spanned 20 seasons, solidifying his place among the greats to have ever played in the league. Besides his basketball accomplishments, O'Neal is also known for his impressive number of endorsements and investments as he continues to strive in his post-NBA life.

Interestingly, the NBA legend founded his own restaurant called "Big Chicken," which opened its first branch in Las Vegas, Nevada back in Oct. 2018. One of the restaurant's most impressive openings was in the $1.5 billion UBS arena, which is the home of the New York Islanders.

After two years, Lakers great Shaquille O'Neal inked a 20-unit development plan in Michigan in collaboration with H&D Group Investments. According to WNEM TV's Emily Brown, a spokeswoman from H&D Group Investments discussed the plan to bring "Big Chicken" to Michigan.

"Aside from its star-powered backing from Shaquille O'Neal, Big Chicken has a wow factor that is rare to come by. I've had the privelage of trying a variety of menu offerings at different Big Chicken locations, and both the quality and flavor have been exceptional each time."

"It was an easy decision to bring the concept to Michigan, and we're excited to be a part of the brand."

The plan is to open the NBA legend's "Big Chicken" branches in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Flint, Saginaw, and Mount Pleasant, as per a Franchise Times article by Matthew Liedke.

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CEO of Shaquille O'Neal's "Big Chicken" restaurant talks about the partnership with H&D Group Investments

With the decision to expand Shaquille O'Neal's "Big Chicken" branches in Michigan, the CEO of the famous chicken restaurant talked about the upside in their partnership with H&D Group Investments:

"The team at H&D Group Investments are exactly the type of experienced operators we're looking to grow with at Big Chicken," Halpern said. "They have an impressive track record of success in the highly competitive full service restaurant segment."

"And we're thrilled to add them to our all-star team of franchises," Halpern added, "as they introduce the first locations in Michigan and expand Big Chicken's presence in the Midwest. Let's grow!" [via The Morning Sun]

According to an article by Yahoo! Finance's Samantha Dorisca, in addition to the restaurant's established outlets in Las Vegas and the UBS Arena in New York, they can also be found in Los Angeles, Seattle, Houston, and Rosemont.