Franchising

Shaq's Big Chicken names former Budweiser exec as CEO

Shaquille O'Neal has named Josh Halpern as CEO for Big Chicken. Provided

May 21, 2021

Shaquille O'Neal has named Josh Halpern as CEO for Big Chicken, a fast casual restaurant concept with locations in Las Vegas and Glendale, California, according to a company press release.

Halpern, who most recently served as chief sales officer for FIFCO USA, previously led the Anheuser-Busch InBev, On-Premise and Small Format channels in the US and Shopper Marketing globally. He has also sat on the boards of the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association, the National Restaurant Association Military Foundation and the National Association for Convenience Stores.

"Since we launched our first location in 2018, our goal has been to bring Big Chicken to people across the United States and beyond," O'Neal said in the release. "With Josh on board, we have big plans and are looking forward to sharing those details with you soon."

During his tenure at Anheuser-Busch InBev, Halpern built the strategy for licensed, branded experiential zones leading to 46 restaurants and bars in stadiums, airports and hotels, including the Beer Park at Paris Las Vegas.