Shaq's Big Chicken franchise hits Lubbock, more West Texas, Oklahoma locations to come

UPDATE: On Sept. 3, franchisee Coby Jones stated the upcoming restaurant will not open in September, but closer to the end of the year.

INITAL ARTICLE: A Lubbock local is bringing Shaquille O'Neal's chicken restaurant to the Hub City, with plans to expand into West Texas and Oklahoma over the next few years.

Coby Jones, who has been in the food industry since 1989, operates multiple Firehouse Subs between Midland and Oklahoma City. This year, he's adding Big Chicken to his franchise repertoire, starting with Lubbock in September at 7411 Milwaukee Ave.

"I've been looking for my next brand for probably five years," Jones said.

During a phone call with a former contact with Firehouse Subs, Jones learned of Shaq's Big Chicken franchise. After several hours, Jones decided to learn more.

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"Three days later, I flew down to Vegas for them announcing the brand for franchising," Jones said. "I listened to their spiel and was just blown away by the food. It is stellar, and I was hooked."

Jones and his family tried out one of the Big Chicken locations before making their decision. The family, after trying one of everything on the menu, agreed to bring Big Chicken to their range of businesses in West Texas and Oklahoma.

"People are going to come in the door the first time because of Shaquille O'Neal's name," Jones said. "They're going to keep coming back because of the quality."

The chefs behind the menu spent nine months to perfect the breading for their chicken, which is hormone and antibiotic free. The chicken for the sandwiches are large, estimated around 5.5 ounces. Another thing that makes the business stand out are the toppings, which includes made-to-order mac and cheese.

"The salads are really good, but everybody loves the Lucille’s Mac N' Cheese, which is made fresh," Jones said. "The steak fries are just the perfect crustiness, which a special salt. It'll quickly become your favorite French fry."

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All the sandwiches are named after important people or things in Shaq's life. Jones' favorite is the Uncle Jerome sandwich, which he described as a Nashville Hot style. The chain is also well known for having a cookie the size of a standard NBA basketball.

The Lubbock location will create approximately 70 jobs, not counting management positions. Closer to the opening, people will be invited to apply online through Indeed or pick up an application in-person.

He plans to add locations to the Midland-Odessa area, Amarillo and Oklahoma City in the next few years. In the meantime, people can keep up with Big Chicken at bigchicken.com, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Shaq's Big Chicken announces West Texas, Oklahoma locations