Former NBA Star's Chicken Restaurant Opens New North Shore Location

BEVERLY, MA — Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal's "Big Chicken" opened a new location on the North Shore on Monday.

The former LA Lakers and Boston Celtics star founded Big Chicken with the concept of bringing "BIG Flavor, BIG Food and BIG Fun" to the fast-service industry.

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Now franchise partners Barry Lattuca, James O'Hanlon, Michael Scibelli and Martin LaChance of JBMM Hospitality have opened a new location at 55 Dodge Street in Beverly — about nine months after a previous location at the Northshore Mall in Peabody closed.

The group also operates the Big Chicken location at the Wrentham Premium Outlets.

"Massachusetts has shown up for Big Chicken in a BIG way," said Lattuca. "We're excited to bring Big Chicken to Beverly, just minutes from Salem and at the heart of the North Shore."

Big Chicken features fan-favorite chicken sandwiches like The Shaq Attack and The Ultimate — stacked high with mac and cheese and crispy onion rings — alongside crispy tenders and the Brand's Dunks.

Guests can also dig into signature sides, hand-spun milkshakes and first-of-its-kind Shaq Snacks, featuring crispy tenders stacked on garlic toast with bold toppings.

Big Chicken is offering a lineup of limited-time dips — each month, crafted for dunking, dipping and drizzling. Guests can get a taste of Korean BBQ until the end of June.

"One of the things that makes Big Chicken unique is the caliber of operators behind the counter," said Gregg Majewski, Founder and CEO of Craveworthy Brands. "Barry, James, Michael and Martin continue to prove what's possible when passionate local ownership meets a brand built around BIG love and exceptional hospitality.

"They've done an incredible job introducing Big Chicken to guests across Massachusetts, and we're excited to continue growing alongside them in Beverly."

Big Chicken has more than 40 locations open and dozens more in development across North America and beyond.