Eco-Friendly Design
Big Chicken, a fast-casual restaurant chain co-founded by NBA hall-of-famer and New Jersey native Shaquille O’Neal, announced it will open its first New Jersey location at The Village at Bridgewater Commons. The restaurant is expected to open in mid-June.
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Franchisees Chad Patel and Aditya Patel plan to open six Big Chicken restaurants in New Jersey, according to a news release, first announcing plans to open locations across Central Jersey in 2023. The other locations are planned for Middlesex, Mercer and Essex counties.
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Aditya Patel said part of what sets Big Chicken apart from other restaurants is the variety of chicken sandwiches that are available.
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“We have six different sandwiches, and also you can customize your sandwich,” Aditya Patel told NJ Advance Media, adding customers can also choose between fried and grilled chicken sandwiches.
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The chain’s chicken sandwiches include Uncle Jerome’s Nashville Hot and The Ultimate, with mac & cheese, crispy fried onions and roasted garlic BBQ aioli, according to a news release. Big Chicken’s menu also features chicken tenders, salads, fries and milkshakes.
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The Bridgewater location will employee between 45 and 50 people, Aditya Patel said. “We believe in serving quality, so that is why we need to hire a good number of people,” he explained. Customers can place orders online and through delivery apps like UberEats and Doordash. They will also offer catering.
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“Bridgewater Commons is just a short drive away from my house, which is how I know that Chad and Adi chose the perfect location for their first Big Chicken restaurant in New Jersey,” Big Chicken CEO Josh Halpern said in a news release. “It’s crazy to think that in less than three years of franchising, we’re now developing a location in my own backyard.”
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Big Chicken was founded in Las Vegas in 2018 in a partnership with JRS Hospitality Group and Authentic Brands Group. There are currently over 25 locations across the United States, and Big Chicken also operates on four Carnival cruise ships.
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Aditya Patel said they plan to offer a special promotion to mark the opening day of the Bridgewater location, and O’Neal plans to visit the restaurant to mark the launch of Big Chicken in New Jersey.
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“The first 34 people, because 34 is Shaq’s Jersey number, in line during our grand opening day will receive a free Big Chicken sandwich for a year, limited to $10 a week,” Aditya Patel said. “When we spoke to Shaq in 2023, he was very excited and looking forward to coming to New Jersey when we opened.
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“It may be the grand opening, or it may be a few weeks after the grand opening, but whenever he comes, we will make that an event.”
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Aditya Patel said they plan to collaborate with charities O’Neal supports, like the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America.
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“We are working with the Bridgewater community and have a few events lined up in June, July and August,” he said. “We also want to collaborate with school basketball teams in the Somerset and Bridgewater school districts and do whatever it takes to help those kids.”