Shaquille O’Neal to Open First-Ever Big Chicken Restaurant in Miami Florida

May 10, 2023

Shaquille O’Neal, NBA Hall of Famer, partial owner to restaurant chain Big Chicken, and has recently signed a lease for its first South Florida site.

The new facility is a part of a deal for DMD Chicken, a division of Davie-based commercial hospitality development firm DMD Ventures, to open 45 units throughout Central and South Florida.

According to Fred Burgess, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of DMD Venture,“From the moment we came across Big Chicken, we knew it was a concept worth investing in. We’re thrilled with the progress that we’ve made in opening our first South Florida location in Doral. Doral Place 87 is a bustling shopping center and prime location for the new restaurant.”

The DMD Chicken leadership group also includes co-CEO Jack Flechner and COO Kurt Petterle in addition to Burgess. Together, they manage franchise locations for numerous companies, such as Candlewood Suites, Papa John’s, and Twin Peaks.

Along with Burgess, the co-CEO Jack Flechner and COO Kurt Petterle make up the DMD Chicken executive group. Each of them is in charge of a franchise location for a different company, such as Twin Peaks, Papa John’s, or Candlewood Suites.

Currently, Big Chicken has eateries in Houston, Seattle, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and a number of sports arenas, in addition to three Carnival cruise ships.

The original KFC restaurant The Big Chicken is located in Marietta, Georgia. It was erected in 1963, damaged by a storm in 1993, and restored again in 2017. In 2017, it underwent a $2 million rehabilitation project.

Before the end of the year, the fast-casual chicken chain is expected to operate at 5635 NW 87th Avenue in the Doral Place 87 shopping area.