DALLAS — Editor's note: This article originally appeared in the Dallas Business Journal.
Big Chicken, the fast-casual chicken restaurant franchise backed by NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, announced that the restaurant brand will enter the DFW market and other major Texas markets through a 50-unit franchise development agreement, according to a news release.
“Big Chicken is exactly the kind of brand that succeeds in Texas: pioneering and bold, yet rooted in delicious tradition,” Emily Williams Knight, president and CEO of Texas Restaurant Association, said in the release. “Our restaurant industry’s rich diversity is our greatest strength, and we’re absolutely thrilled that Shaquille O’Neal and the Big Chicken team are joining us.”
Fazil Malik and Frank Malik, founders of Houston-based Northwest Petroleum and Skylark Construction and Noordin Jhaver, CEO of Stafford-based Dew Real Estate Holdings, which is in the retail and restaurant space, are part of the deal. This will be their first joint venture.
The restaurant brand will also enter the Austin, Houston and San Antonio markets as part of the deal.
“It’s amazing that Noordin, Fazil, and Frank have chosen their first joint venture together to be with Big Chicken. They have been incredibly impressive and successful, and after several conversations and meetings with our team, it was clear that this was a perfect fit,” Josh Halpern, CEO of Big Chicken, said in the release. “As we grow our franchise community, we are privileged that talented, multi-unit operators with this level of experience across multiple business verticals want to join our team.”
Northwest Petroleum was launched in 1991 and has grown to more than 60 convenience store and gas station locations. Jhaver started his entrepreneurial career in the convenience store and truck shop industry in 1986 and began his restaurant ownership and operations in 2002.
“Big Chicken wouldn’t be growing like it is without the team behind it,” O’Neal said in the release. “My team has done a fantastic job making sure we’re growing in the right way, with the right people. Now, we’re going even bigger in Texas and I’m excited to be teammates with Fazil, Frank, and Noordin.”
Big Chicken recently announced its upcoming franchise expansion into West Texas, Central Oklahoma and the Chicago, Arizona and Los Angeles markets. Its current locations are in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, arenas in Seattle and New York and two Carnival Cruise ships.