CARSON CITY, Nev. – Northwest Nevada, get ready to join the BIG leagues!

Big Chicken, the star-powered chicken concept founded by legendary basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, announced today the signed leases of its two newest locations in Carson City and Minden. 

Part of a six-unit agreement across Northwest Nevada, Big Chicken in Carson City and Minden are set to be the first two locations to open for experienced restaurant owner and longtime Carson City resident, Damon Kreizenbeck. 

The first location to open will be in Carson City at the 444 East Williams Street City Center. Closely to follow will be the opening in Minden, with a location set on the intersection of Highway 395 and Highway 88. Both restaurants are expected to open in late 2023 as the third and fourth locations in the state.

“We were fortunate to have secured two prime locations to open our first Big Chicken restaurants in Carson City and Minden. Since signing the leases, we’ve been beyond excited to share the announcement,” said Kreizenbeck. “As a Northern Nevada resident for the last 33 years, I’m confident that Big Chicken will quickly become a go-to lunch and dinner spot for residents as well as for those passing through. There’s nothing else in the area that brings BIG flavor, BIG food and BIG fun quite like Big Chicken.”

With more than seven years of restaurant ownership experience, Kreizenbeck joined the fast casual space in 2015 as the franchise owner of Firehouse Subs in Carson City, which he operates alongside his father-in-law, Patrick Lindsay. Before then, Kreizenbeck spent most of his professional life in the fine wine business where he owned a wine and spirit marketing company and a fine wine distributor. Lindsay will also be involved in the Big Chicken business in addition to Kreizenbeck’s wife, Karin, and their daughters, Hanna, Lindsay and Kyda. Another key team member will be Anthony Kingsland, who has extensive experience working in fine dining in the area and will serve as District Manager at Big Chicken in Northwest Nevada. Additional markets in the six-unit agreement with Big Chicken include Reno, Sparks, and Lake Tahoe.

“Damon’s prior restaurant ownership experience and knowledge of the market have been instrumental as we’ve worked together to expand Big Chicken in Northwest Nevada,” said Big Chicken CEO Josh Halpern. “We’re happy to celebrate alongside him and his family with each new milestone, including his first signed leases in Carson City and Minden. We’re proud to have him as part of our team.”

Big Chicken in Carson City and Minden will add to the 250-plus locations in development nationwide for the brand. In addition to its Las Vegas locations (Paradise Road and Tropicana Ave.), Big Chicken currently has locations open in Los Angeles (Glendale and Valencia); Seattle; Houston; and in the Dayton, Ohio region, as well as in metro-New York’s UBS Arena, The Moody Center in Austin, ASU’s Mullett Arena, Palm Spring’s Acrisure Arena, St. Louis’s Busch Stadium, Kansas City International Airport and on three Carnival Cruise ships. 

To learn more about the Big Chicken franchise opportunity, visit www.bigchicken.com/franchise-information. 

About Big Chicken

Founded in 2018, Big Chicken is backed by a dream team of partners; JRS Hospitality, an accomplished Las Vegas-based ownership group; Authentic Brands Group, a multi-national, multi-billion-dollar brand development, marketing and entertainment company; and Hall of Fame basketball star Shaquille O’Neal. Big Chicken fuses O’Neal’s home-cooked childhood favorites with today’s trending flavors. From crispy chicken sandwiches and tenders to Cheez-It® crusted mac n’ cheese and hand-crafted ice cream shakes, each menu item tells a story all while offering guests an inside look into the life and personality of Shaquille O’Neal. With seven traditional locations currently open and several in the development pipeline, Big Chicken is prepped to begin U.S. and international expansion through franchising.

 

To learn more about Big Chicken, visit www.bigchicken.com.

 

About Shaquille O’Neal

Shaquille O’Neal is one of the world’s most successful athlete-turned-businessmen, whose accomplishments both on and off the court have translated into a highly sought-after consumer brand. As an entrepreneur, sports analyst, DJ, restaurateur, and brand ambassador, Shaquille O’Neal’s signature “Business of Fun” mantra resonates throughout each of his countless endeavors.

The 15-time NBA All-Star’s unprecedented athletic career spanned nearly two decades and earned him countless awards and honors, including NBA Most Valuable Player, NBA Rookie of the Year, four NBA Championships and a First Ballot NBA Hall of Famer.  Currently, O’Neal is an analyst on TNT’s Emmy Award-winning “Inside the NBA.”

O’Neal, who has a PhD in Leadership and Education, established The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation which provides resources for underserved youth. He also gives back through a number of annual philanthropic programs including Shaq to School, Shaqsgiving, and Shaq a Claus.

The launch of his Las Vegas eatery Big Chicken has further elevated Shaquille’s status as he has positioned himself as a successful restaurateur. The brand currently has sites open in Las Vegas, Glendale, CA, two Carnival Cruise Ships (Mardi Gras and Radiance), Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, UBS Arena in New York with many more locations under development.

Follow Shaquille O’Neal on TikTok, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Authentic Brands Group

Authentic Brands Group (Authentic) is a global brand development, marketing and entertainment platform, which owns a portfolio of more than 40 iconic and world-renowned Lifestyle, Entertainment and Media brands. Headquartered in New York City, with offices around the world, Authentic connects strong brands with best-in-class partners and a global network of operators, distributors and retailers to build long-term value in the marketplace. Its brands have an expansive retail footprint, including more than 9,100-plus freestanding stores and shop-in-shops in more than 150 countries and generate approximately $24 billion in global annual retail sales. 

Authentic is committed to transforming brands by delivering powerful storytelling, compelling content, innovative business models and immersive experiences. It creates and activates original marketing strategies to drive the success of its brands across all consumer touchpoints, platforms and emerging media. Authentic’s brand portfolio includes Marilyn Monroe®, Elvis Presley®, Muhammad Ali®, Shaquille O’Neal®, David Beckham®, Dr. J®, Greg Norman®, Neil Lane®, Thalia®, Sports Illustrated®, Reebok®, Eddie Bauer®, Spyder®, Volcom®, Airwalk®, Nautica®, Izod®, Brooks Brothers®, Barneys New York®, Judith Leiber®, Ted Baker®, Hervé Léger®, Frye®, Juicy Couture®, Vince Camuto®, Lucky Brand®, Aéropostale®, Forever 21®, Nine West®, Jones New York®, Tretorn®, Prince®, Van Heusen®, Arrow®, Hickey Freeman®, Hart Schaffner Marx® and Thomasville®.

For more information, visit authentic.com.

Follow Authentic on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.

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