Franchising

Big Chicken hitting Houston

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August 26, 2022

Big Chicken, founded by NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, is breaking ground in Houston thanks to a 50-unit agreement with Frank and Fazil Malik and Noordin Jhaver. Located in Woodland Square, at 9660 Westheimer Road, the store is in one of the city's most highly trafficked shopping, dining and entertainment hubs just down the street from the Houston Galleria mall.

"Our efforts over the last several months have all culminated in this exciting moment," Frank Malik said in a company press release. "When seeking new opportunities, we knew we needed to partner with a brand that matched the vibrant spirit of Texas, and Shaquille O'Neal's bold, colorful Big Chicken fit the bill. We're thrilled to be debuting our first of many restaurants in Houston."

The Maliks own Northwest Petroleum and Skylark Construction; Jhaver is the CEO of retail real estate firm, Dew Real Estate Holdings L.L.C., as well as a multi-unit operator of over 50 Sonic restaurants with 45 additional locations in development.

"This first lease kicks off our BIG growth plans for Big Chicken in Texas within four of the country's largest cities," Josh Halpern, CEO of Big Chicken, said in the release. Fazil, Frank and Noordin have impressed us since our first meeting, and we are thrilled to celebrate this incredible milestone with them. With our proven growth strategy targeting top retail destinations across the nation alongside seasoned multi-unit operators, Big Chicken Texas is primed for massive success."

Since the announcement of Big Chicken's franchising initiative just under one year ago, the brand has more than 150 locations in its development pipeline.