Shaquille O’Neal brings Big Chicken to Nashville's Century Farm development

Hadley Hitson, Nashville Tennessean

Hall of Fame basketball star Shaquille O’Neal is bringing his fast-casual restaurant Big Chicken to Nashville.

The restaurant will join fast food heavy hitters like In-N-Out Burger, Chick-fil-A and Whataburger in the 300-acre Century Farms development in Antioch. The Big Chicken team signed its lease at 2141 Cane Ridge Road on Thursday, and no official opening date has been announced yet.

For the Tennessee launch, O'Neal joined forces with experienced restaurant owner Jim Richards, who has run more than a dozen Five Guys restaurants in Tennessee and Georgia.

Shaquille O'Neal's Big Chicken restaurant will open its first Nashville location in Century Farms.
Shaquille O'Neal's Big Chicken restaurant will open its first Nashville location in Century Farms.

“We couldn’t be more ecstatic about coming to the Nashville area. Our ties run deep in the area, having owned and operated several restaurants locally. I’ve been talking to my friends and colleagues locally, and they are buzzing about Shaquille and the brand’s incredible menu that he developed,” Richards said in a statement. "We are extremely familiar with the vibe of Antioch and Big Chicken will be a fantastic addition to the neighborhood. Our guests will love the bold flavors and vibrant atmosphere.”

This new location announcement comes within months of two other Big Chicken Tennessee locations in Chattanooga and Hixson. Along with other partners Brian Voges and Andrew Gardner, Richards plans to open another six Big Chicken locations across Tennessee in the near future, listing Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga as target markets.

Some of the many offerings of Big Chicken include crispy chicken sandwiches, jalapeno slaw, fries, and Lucille's Mac n' Cheese.
Some of the many offerings of Big Chicken include crispy chicken sandwiches, jalapeno slaw, fries, and Lucille's Mac n' Cheese.

Known for his basketball prestige and DJ gigs, O’Neal also added restaurateur to his list of careers in 2018 with the opening of the first Big Chicken in Las Vegas, Nevada. Since then, the chain has expanded to 18 locations across the country and there are several more in the works.

Menu offerings combine O’Neal’s home-cooked childhood favorites with modern twists. Highlights for the Nashville location include The Original Big Chicken sandwich with Big Chicken Sauce and pickles, Uncle Jerome’s Nashville Hot Chicken with lettuce, mayo and pickles and The Ultimate with macaroni and cheese, crispy fried onions and roasted garlic barbeque aioli. Milkshakes, crinkle-cut fries and a Cheez-It-crusted macaroni are also on the menu.

Big Chicken CEO Josh Halpern said the decision to open the first Nashville location in Antioch was a deliberate one.

“In every conversation we’ve had, Jim has been clear about the strength of the brand’s potential in Nashville. I am thrilled to have worked closely with him to make this happen at a fantastic locale in the market,” Halpern said in a statement. “Over the past several years, the entire area has been on a growth trajectory not unlike our own, but it’s only fitting that Jim and his team have chosen one of the fastest-growing parts of the Nashville Metro Area to develop their first restaurant.”

The Century Farms development is following a master plan and has been in the works for the last seven years. It's already home to Tanger Outlets, which opened in October 2023, and at least ten other tenants announced in the last year.

Hadley Hitson covers trending business, dining and health care for The Tennessean. She can be reached at hhitson@gannett.com. To support her work, subscribe to The Tennessean.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Shaquille O’Neal's fast-casual Big Chicken heads to Nashville

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