Big Chicken, the star-powered fast-casual chicken concept founded by legendary Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, announced that it has signed its latest agreement with seasoned restaurant operating group Concept 2 Completion Hospitality, which is made up of Cory Mason, Christopher Goss, Alexander Wertheim, Kenneth Crear and Cedric Crear. These industry veterans will bring three new locations to Greater Memphis and Northern Mississippi.
“Beyond the celebrity endorsement by Shaquille O’Neal, Big Chicken boasts an extraordinary charm that’s truly unique. Having savored an array of their BIG flavors at various Big Chicken restaurants, I can confidently vouch for the consistently exceptional quality and flavor,” Goss says. “The choice to introduce this concept to Memphis was a no-brainer, we’re thrilled to be a part of the brand’s dynamic expansion, especially given that we have strong ties in the area. Currently, our primary goal is securing premium real estate to bring BIG fun back to our roots in Southwest Tennessee.”
Concept 2 Completion Hospitality group will draw upon its more than a century of collective expertise in diverse fields such as restaurants, marketing, entertainment, construction, and community activism in operating their Big Chicken restaurants. With this wealth of experience and extensive knowledge of the area, they are poised to shape Big Chicken Memphis into a focal point for the community and a standout representation of the brand.
“The team at Concept 2 Completion Hospitality shares our core value of providing our guests with a dining experience that has BIG fun at its heart,” adds CEO Josh Halpern. “Our leadership team recognizes the importance of further engaging with team members across our network of locations and showing them opportunities to develop their careers at Big Chicken. This is an initiative that I know resonates with the Concept 2 Completion team as well, and that’s part of the reason why we can’t wait to see them expand the brand’s presence in the Greater Memphis Metro area!”
The newest franchise agreement in Southwest Tennessee will add to the 300-plus locations in development nationwide for the brand. Big Chicken currently has locations open in Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Seattle; Houston; Gilbert, Arizona; Rosemont, Illinois and in the Dayton, Ohio region, as well as in metro-New York’s UBS Arena, The Comcast Center in Philadelphia, The Moody Center in Austin, ASU’s Mullett Arena, Palm Springs’ Acrisure Arena, St. Louis’s Busch Stadium, Kansas City International Airport and on three Carnival Cruise ships.
Along with O’Neal, the championship pedigree behind Big Chicken includes a pair of powerful ownership group partners, including:
