Celebrity Owned Restaurant Opens First Massachusetts Locations

Massachusetts is filled with so many fantastic eateries that it's hard to pick a favorite. From delicious farm-to-table restaurants in the Berkshire hills to some of the best Italian food outside of Italy in Boston's North End, and everything in between, Massachusetts is chock-full of culinary greatness.

There is no shortage of celebrity chefs who own restaurants in Massachusetts. From Mario Batali to Gordon Ramsey and Todd English, dozens of world-famous chefs have opened eateries in Boston and beyond. From Top Chef contests to James Beard award winners, Massachusetts celeb culinary scene rivals New York and LA.

Besides celebrity chefs, there are plenty of actual celebrities who have opened their restaurants in the Bay State. From actors to musicians and even athletes lots of famous folks are throwing their hats in the restaurant business ring.

NBA Great Shaquille O'Neal to Open 12 New Restaurants in Massachusetts

The latest celeb to bring his name to the culinary game is Shaquille O'Neal who announced late last year that he planned to open 12 new chain restaurants throughout Massachusetts. The four time NBA Champion who spent the last year of his career with the Boston Celtics is planning a dozen new locations of Big Chicken his fast-casual fried chicken chain across the state.

According to Boston.com, the 12 new Big Chicken locatiosn are expected to open this year in Boston, the MetroWest, Cape Cod, and the North Shore regions of Massachusetts. The 15-time all star's restaurants are currently open in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Seattle, Houston, Arizona, Illinois, and Ohio, as well as in New York’s UBS Arena, The Comcast Center in Philadelphia, The Moody Center in Austin, the Footprint Center and ASU’s Mullett Arena, Palm Springs’ Acrisure Arena, St. Louis’s Busch Stadium, Kansas City International Airport, and on three Carnival Cruise ships.

A representative from Restaurant Brands International, Shaq's business partner in the ventures, Big Chicken has a menu that "fuses his home-cooked childhood favorites with bold new flavors."

From crispy chicken sandwiches and tenders to Cheez-It crusted mac n’ cheese and hand-crafted ice cream shakes, each menu item tells a story all while offering guests an inside look into the life and personality of Shaquille O’Neal

BigChicken.com