Shaquille O’Neal is going big with his casual fast-food franchise, Big Chicken. After successful openings in over 16 states, the Big Aristotle, on one hand, is getting his family involved to grow the business, and on the other, has looked to tap into the challenging Michigan market. Contrary to expectations, the franchise witnessed a good response over the month of opening in Livingston County; enough to have the seven-footer make a visit but also draw in a little unfortunate chaos.

The recent tension at a Big Chicken store opening in Hartland is the latest example of how O’Neal’s star power. Surprisingly, nearly 300 people were present at 10490 Highland Road to welcome the entrepreneur to his new location. But things quickly went south.

According to a press release from the Sheriff’s office in Livingston County, it was stated that the PR staff of Shaq had made a request for extra security around 1 pm, not really having anticipated the crowd of such a number. Why? As revealed by the staff, Shaq’s visit to the restaurant was going to be a private one, but the owner had made it public, posting about the event on his Facebook Page.

Another reason for such a mass gathering can be attributed to Shaq’s late arrival at the location. The Lakers veteran was supposed to be present at the facility by 2 pm, but due to travel delays, he arrived at the location just before 6. “… This, along with the Pinckney Homecoming Parade and the Hartland vs. Brighton football game … further depleted the available resources,” read the release.

Things escalated after the 52-year-old went inside the store. In a clip widely shared, a mother-daughter duo and a 21-year-old man got into a curfuffle with the officers on duty. It would lead to detention, a few minor injuries, and the involvement of the Michigan police departments.

The instance seems to be the unexpected hiccup in Big Chicken’s ambitious plans in the state.

Big Chicken to expand in Michigan

The Big Chicken was founded by Shaquille O’Neal in October 2018. Over the years, the restaurant has seen significant growth and now has expanded to places like Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. However, it was a task to tap into the Michigan market after Guy Fieri’s Chicken Guy was forced to shut down due to low response in a matter of a year. And when the franchise did go ahead in February with its first outlet in Cilo, it struggled a bit. But the team at Big Chicken wasn’t going to back down.

Instead, the company has revealed its plan to open 20 new locations across the state under the 20-unit-development-agreement, to help bring its signature Southern-style fried chicken and unique menu items to a wider audience. The expected locations are Metro Detroit, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Flint, Saginaw, and Mount Pleasant. The menu of all the new franchises will be first approved by Shaq and his mother Lucille.

With Josh Halpern behind the management now, they are only anticipating a bigger response. He also recently revealed that the team “just filmed a massive amount of content with him [shaq] and his Mama Lucille and his daughter Taahirah at the Pepsi Innovation Studios.” 

So the Big Chicken is aiming to go big, spreading smiles. The incident on Friday was sure a sting for the Big Aristotle.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.