Big Chicken, the fast-casual franchise Shaquille O’Neal founded, is preparing to open a new location in Lake City at 228 NW Centurion Ct.
The new location is the latest franchise owner, Chris McMillan, and his wife, Amy, also his business partner. Together, they own the Panhandle Restaurant Group, which, in 2022, signed 40- and 35-unit franchise agreements with Big Chicken and Teriyaki Madness, respectively. According to a recent plan review, the group is opening a 4,440-square-foot location with a drive-thru later this year. It’s unclear where else the restaurant group plans to expand the brand.
A former Slim Chickens franchisee, McMillan sold to partners his stake in the three restaurants the group opened, paving the way for him to sign with Big Chicken. At the time of the signing, the brand had two restaurants open, in Las Vegas and Glendale, California, along with non-traditional locations inside Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, UBS Arena in New York, and Moody Center in Austin, Texas. Now, Big Chicken can be found in 17 locations throughout the country, with many more on the way through franchise agreements.
Panhandle Restaurant Group, based in Panama City, Florida, is no stranger to large-scale franchise agreements, previously serving as a Sonic franchisee with 27 restaurants in northern Florida, northwest Arkansas and Louisiana. The group also has two RibCrib restaurants and, at one point, was developing three of its brands—seafood concept C-Mac’s, 850 Pizza, and Gulf Coast Tacos—with plans to franchise.
