Shaquille O'Neal, Big Chicken CEO Josh Halpern and Chef and Co-owner Matt Silverman join Fast Casual's Cherryh Cansler for an exclusive interview about the creation and growth plans of the basketball legend's latest business venture, Big Chicken.
Big Chicken CEO Josh Halpern (left), Shaquille O'neal, Executive Chef and JRS Co-owner Matt Silverman and Chef Matt Piekarski, VP of Culinary Operations of JRS, hang out before a franchising event at Big Chicken in Las Vegas.
One of the perks of owning a restaurant is all the free food, but Shaquille O'Neal always pays.
 |
|
Big Chicken CEO Josh Halpern (from left) and Shaq listen as Chef Matt Silverman (right) explains to Fast Casual Editor Cherryh Cansler why he didn't want to add Shaq's favorite sandwich (chicken, ketchup and a piece of cheese) to the main menu |
"You should always pay," he said Wednesday during an interview at Big Chicken in Las Vegas, where CEO Josh Halpern and Chef Matt Silverman joined Shaq before a franchising event. "Your team sees you pay, so they know they have to pay."
It's just one of the many tips that Shaq has picked up over the years as a restaurateur. The former NBA star and larger-than-life celebrity not only owns several Papa Johns and Krispy Kremes but launched Big Chicken a few years ago with help from JRS Hospitality.
Although the fast casual brand began serving its huge fried chicken sandwiches, milkshakes and mac 'n' cheese — created by Shaq's mom, Lucille, — since 2018 from its first location in California, it recently opened inside a Carnival Cruise ship as well as at a former Indian restaurant just off the Vegas strip.
Those openings, however, are only the start of the chain's growth as it also launched a franchising program last month, a move that Shaq has been anticipating.
"I kept saying, 'Matt, can we open franchises yet?'
'We aren't ready,' Silverman said, a mantra he'd repeat several more times over the years.
Shaq would keep coming back: "What about now?"
"No, not yet," he'd answer.
"Now?"
"No!"
"We had to first be able to offer a high-quality product in as easy and seamless as possible before rolling it out," said Silverman, who didn't want to rush into franchising, opting, instead, to work out all the kinks in the corporate stores.
"I trust Matt," Shaq said. "I've always had the ability to hire people who were smarter than me. I don't micromanage my team. He does his thing. I do mine. Josh (Halpern) does his."
 |
|
During a franchising event Wednesday at Big Chicken, Shaq treated possible franchisees to a Shaq-sized taste test of some of the most popular menu items. Photos by Cherryh Cansler |
He trusts Silverman so much, in fact, that he continues to take his advice when it comes to the menu — even when it meant not adding his favorite chicken sandwich to the menu.
"He eats it with a piece of cheese and ketchup," Silverman said laughing. "No, that can go on the kids' menu — only."
"That's OK," said Shaq, who also admitted that he wasn't sure about Silverman's latest idea for a limited-time offer, a banana pudding shake, but eventually changed his mind.
"He was like, 'Just at least first try it,' Shaq said. "And it was really good. People love it."
In the franchise game
Now that the back- and front-of-houses are in order, the Big Chicken is ready to grow via franchising and is vetting a variety of formats, including virtual kitchens. In fact, the company — owned by Shaq, JRS and Authentic Brands, which owns Sports Illustrated, the Elvis Presley brand and Forever 21 — signed a deal this week with Ghost Kitchens Brands to open within a Walmart in Rochester, New York. More Walmart deals are in the works.
"Ghost Kitchens provides us an innovative omnichannel experience to serve new markets while still maintaining our high-quality standards," Halpern said.
Separately from Ghost Kitchens, additional locations scheduled to open later this year and 2022 include outlets inside arenas, Carnival Cruise Ships and the Hollywood Casino in Baton Rouge.
From NBA legend to franchisee to franchisor
For Shaq, Big Chicken isn't just about making money.
"Jeff Bezos once said that you should make investments based on if it's going to change people's lives, and that's what we're doing," said Shaq, who is hoping to not only change customers' lives but also the lives of his franchisees.
"Shaq owns more units than not right now, but that won't always be the case as we grow this brand, and he wants to do right by them," Halpern said. "He wants to make them happy."
The secret to that, according to Shaq, is listening to their needs.
"I get it, he said. It's hard (to run a business) when you can't communicate with the company," he said. "It's not like that here."
Big Chicken's 4-point plan
Halpern agreed, pointing out that ensuring that "franchisees always win" is Part 2 of his four-part approach to winning, which is:
- Win with our guests by providing great food and a great experience.
- Win with our franchisees by creating a transparent and capable ecosystem.
- Win with our suppliers through communication, planning, and ideation.
- And if we win with guests, franchisees, and suppliers, it's a win for Big Chicken," Halpern said.
Sticking to those four goals also helps Halpern achieve his other main priority as Big Chicken's CEO — protecting Shaq's personal brand and legacy.
"The universal love of Shaq is important," he said. "People love the guy, and we want to protect that. If customers aren't happy with the food and franchisees aren't happy with their business, he loses that. That can't happen."
Although Shaq's popularity stems from his career on the basketball court, he's fueled that admiration from generally caring about people and delivering on his promises.
"One of my favorite parts in this process is seeing the look on someone's face when they realize how involved Shaq really is," Halpern said. "He really puts his heart into this, and the food, well, everything reflects that. "
Editor's note: Part 2 of this series will reveal the creative ways Big Chicken is tapping technology to fuel growth.
"triple" - Google News
September 03, 2021 at 05:00PM
https://ift.tt/3DNl8l5
Shaq taps restaurant pros to triple-team chicken chain competition - Fast Casual
"triple" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3dc0blF
https://ift.tt/2WoIFUS
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Shaq taps restaurant pros to triple-team chicken chain competition - Fast Casual"
Post a Comment