Shaquille O'Neal's fast-casual concept Big Chicken opens its second permanent Massachusetts location Saturday, August 22, at 55 Dodge Street in Beverly — marking another step in the brand's accelerating regional and national expansion.
The Beverly unit is operated by JBMM Hospitality, the local franchise group led by Barry Lattuca, James O'Hanlon, Michael Scibelli and Martin LaChance. JBMM first tested the Massachusetts market with a Big Chicken "Dunk Truck" pop-up at Wrentham Premium Outlets in 2025, converted that into a permanent storefront in January 2026, and has now added Beverly as its second brick-and-mortar location — a compact but deliberate build-out that reflects how many franchisees are using non-traditional formats to de-risk new-market entry before committing to full storefronts.
Grand Opening Mechanics
For the opening day promotion, the first 36 guests in line — a nod to O'Neal's No. 36 jersey during his Boston Celtics tenure — will receive free sandwiches for a year through the brand's rewards program (capped at $10 per week, redeemable every seven days). Guests who download the Big Chicken app can also enter for a chance to win a signed basketball and jersey. Operators looking at crowd-driving tactics will note the jersey-number hook as an example of celebrity-IP marketing integrated directly into a loyalty-acquisition mechanic.
Menu and LTO Strategy
The Beverly menu includes the brand's signature stacked chicken sandwiches — The Shaq Attack and The Ultimate, loaded with mac and cheese and crispy onion rings — along with tenders, hand-spun milkshakes and Shaq Snacks (crispy tenders on garlic toast with bold toppings). Timed to the opening, Big Chicken is rolling out "Big Dip Energy," a monthly limited-time dipping sauce program; the current drop is a Root Beer BBQ. Rotating LTO sauce programs have become a proven traffic driver in the fast-casual chicken segment, giving operators a low-cost reason to re-engage loyalty members month over month.
"Beverly has all the ingredients we look for in a Big Chicken community — great energy, a strong local identity and people who appreciate seriously good food," said Gregg Majewski, CEO of Big Chicken. "With the JBMM team leading the way, we're excited to plant our flag on the North Shore and continue growing our Massachusetts footprint."
With more than 40 locations open and additional units in development across North America — spanning traditional storefronts, arenas, airports and cruise ships — Big Chicken's multi-venue distribution model is increasingly relevant to foodservice operators evaluating non-traditional venue strategies. The Beverly location will be open Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
