Shaq News

Shaq's Big Chicken restaurant is ready for its Fort Worth debut

Shaquille O'Neal's Big Chicken prepares for opening day.

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The wait is over for the much-anticipated Fort Worth debut of Big Chicken, the buzzy chicken restaurant from celebrity Shaquille O'Neal, opening in the Alliance area at 9755 North Fwy., in the Victory Shops at Heritage Trace.

According to a release, the restaurant will open September 3.

The basketball Hall of Famer founded Big Chicken in 2018 with a menu inspired by his childhood favorites: fried chicken sandwiches and tenders with a pale, peppery battered crust, Cheez-It crusted mac & cheese, fries, and shakes.

The chain has locations in 18 states including four in Texas - Richmond, two in Houston, and one at Austin's Moody Center - plus they're served on some Carnival Cruise ships.

Signature items include the ultimate sandwich with chicken, mac & cheese, and crispy fried onions; and Uncle Jerome’s Nashville Hot, a Nashville Hot chicken sandwich with lettuce, mayo, and pickles.

Other dishes include popcorn chicken made from chicken thighs, and an unusual grilled cheese sandwich on rustic Italian bread featuring three cheeses, chipotle bbq sauce, and pieces of fried chicken. Their fries are thick-cut steak fries which come seasoned, or in a "dirty" loaded option topped with cheese sauce, bacon, banana peppers and chipotle BBQ sauce.

The atmosphere is animated with fun motifs such as giant orange chicken feet and glowing neon pink signage.

The Fort Worth location is from Frank Malik, Fazil Malik, and Noordin Jhaver, who oversee the operations of three Big Chicken restaurants around Houston.

The opening will feature festivities including free food and drinks for the first 34 fans in line, a nod to O’Neal’s iconic jersey number.

“We’re going all-in on Big Chicken in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with Frank, Fazil, and Noordin," says Big Chicken CEO Josh Halpern in a statement. "To think that in just five years we’d be opening our first location in what’s set to be the largest metropolitan area in the country in the next millennia is truly mind-blowing."

"Fort Worth holds a special significance for our team with several team members, including Shaquille, located nearby, and I know that they can’t wait to celebrate the BIG day together," Halpern says.

Doughnut News

Luscious doughnut shop Duck Donuts makes Fort Worth debut

Photo courtesy of Visit Addison

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A decadent new doughnut shop is coming to Fort Worth: Duck Donuts, a North Carolina-based chain known for serving doughnuts made to order, will open a shop at 6387 Camp Bowie Blvd. #A within the Ridglea Plaza Shopping Center in Fort Worth.

According to a release, the shop will open on Saturday December 21 at 7 am.

Duck Donuts opened its first locations in 2007 in the beach resort towns of Duck and Kitty Hawk, North Carolina with the intention to create an oasis for vacationers. They're now headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and began franchising in 2013, with more than 150 locally owned and operated shops across 26 states and international locations. There was previously a DFW location in Addison on Belt Line Road that opened in 2020 but it did not survive the pandemic.

The Fort Worth shop is owned and operated by husband-and-wife Justin and Morgan Thomas.

“We are delighted to be opening in Fort Worth,” Justin says in a statement. “The community has been patiently waiting for us to open our doors, and now we cannot wait to sprinkle happiness to all with our warm, delicious and made-to-order doubhnuts.”

The 1,035-square-foot shop reflects the franchise’s reimagined design which gives a modern twist on their iconic beach theme and family-friendly atmosphere. Upon entering the store, customers are greeted by the aroma of warm, light vanilla cake doughnuts.

Customers can create their own combination by choosing from coatings, toppings, and drizzles, including traditional favorites such as chocolate icing with sprinkles and more adventurous creations such as maple icing with bacon.

Key to their appeal is the viewing area where children and adults alike can watch their doughnuts being made.

Many of their flavors have a beachy theme such as the Beach, a cake doughnut with vanilla icing dusted with cinnamon sugar; the Sunrise with lemon icing and raspberry drizzle; and the Beach Ball with vanilla icing, rainbow sprinkles, and chocolate drizzle.

They rotate in seasonal offerings such as the current lineup of mint-flavored flavors including chocolate icing with mint buttercream. The doughnuts themselves are limited to vanilla and chocolate cake; the flavors come primarily from icing.

In addition to doughnuts, the Fort Worth location will serve coffee, doughnut breakfast sandwiches, doughnut sundaes — in which a doughnut is topped with ice cream and syrup — plus frozen beverages and milkshakes.

doughnuts openings