Tampa’s top-ranked suburb is about to meet chicken’s top contender in a slam-dunk matchup of BIG flavor and BIG fun. Founded by basketball legend and entrepreneur Shaquille O’Neal, Big Chicken will make its home in the picturesque community of Westchase.
Taking to the court northwest of downtown Tampa on June 16, Big Chicken Westchase is set to open its doors with a BIG play: the first 34 guests in line will receive free Big Chicken for a year.* Locally owned and operated by franchise partners, Sunny Movva and Sammath and Amulya Reddy, the new restaurant is located at 8725 West Linebaugh Avenue, just down the road from the West Park Village retail area in a cluster of pedestrian-friendly town centers.
“The chicken segment is booming right now, and it shows no signs of slowing down in the Greater Tampa area,” said Sam Reddy. “My partners and I flew to Las Vegas to try the food last year, and the crispy chicken paired with Nashville-hot heat on the Uncle Jerome sandwich truly captivated our taste buds in a BIG way.”
The upcoming Big Chicken location is the first for the entrepreneurial trio, having built a strong background in information technology before branching out into the hospitality industry as managing partners in a local pizza joint. Movva and the Reddys also have plans to continue expanding in Florida, after they establish the Westchase location as the go-to chicken spot in town.
“Shaquille has always had BIG love for Tampa – and the city has always shown the love right back,” said Josh Halpern, CEO of Big Chicken. “Sam, Sunny and Amulya are the ideal partners to bring Big Chicken to an area that’s so special to Shaquille. They lead with love, operate with heart and understand what this brand is all about – BIG flavor, BIG energy and that feeling that anything’s possible when you walk through the door. We’re so excited to open in Westchase. As Shaquille would say, 'CAN YOU DIG IT, TAMPA!?"
Offerings at Big Chicken in Westchase will include The Original Big Chicken sandwich, Uncle Jerome’s Nashville Hot (Nashville Hot Chicken, lettuce, mayo and pickles) and The Ultimate (mac and cheese, crispy fried onions and roasted garlic BBQ aioli), along with the crispy crinkle cut fries and delicious ice cream milkshakes.
“Big Chicken was built on the vision that comfort food brings people together, so we’re confident that it will thrive in a community as interconnected and family-oriented as Westchase is,” concluded Sam Reddy.