DMD Chicken Announces Next Florida Restaurant Location in 45-Unit Agreement to Introduce Hit Chicken Franchise in the Sunshine State

MELBOURNE, Fla. – Melbourne is the next destination for BIG flavor, BIG food and BIG fun.

Big Chicken, the star-powered chicken concept founded by legendary basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, announced today the signed lease of its newest location in Melbourne, Florida. 

Part of a massive 45-unit agreement across Central and South Florida, Big Chicken in Melbourne will be the third location to open in Florida for DMD Chicken, a branch of accomplished Florida commercial hospitality development company DMD Ventures. Located at the southeast corner of North Wickham Road and Pineda Causeway in Crossroads Village, the restaurant is planned to open in early 2025.

“We’ve been focused on finding the best real estate across Central and South Florida to open Big Chicken and are thrilled to announce our next restaurant location in Melbourne,” said Fred Burgess, principal, co-founder and co-CEO of DMD Ventures. “We’ve certainly felt the excitement building for Big Chicken in Orlando and Doral, where we’ve signed our first two leases, and we’re excited to continue building on the momentum as we ramp up our development.”

Alongside Burgess, the DMD Chicken leadership team includes co-CEO Jack Flechner and Chief Operating Officer Kurt Petterle. As a branch of DMD Ventures, the seasoned ownership group of attorney’s, developers and hospitality leaders have more than 50 years of experience accelerating growth across its portfolio. With successful franchise concepts including Twin Peaks®, Papa Johns®, IHG Hotels®, Go Minis Portable Storage® and shopping centers, the trio of industry veterans are equipped to quickly scale Big Chicken across Florida.

“Big Chicken is expanding its way across Florida in a BIG way thanks to our partnership with DMD Chicken,” said Big Chicken CEO Josh Halpern. “Fred, Jack and Kurt are incredibly knowledgeable about the markets they are entering into, and we’re fully confident in their ability to make each location a success. Let’s GROW!”

Big Chicken currently has locations open in Las Vegas (Paradise Road and Tropicana Ave.); Los Angeles (Glendale and Valencia); Seattle; Houston; Gilbert, Arizona; 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 Springs’ Acrisure Arena, St. Louis’s Busch Stadium, Kansas City International Airport and on three Carnival Cruise ships.

 

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 eight 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.



DMD Chicken Announces Next Florida Restaurant Location in 45-Unit Agreement to Introduce Hit Chicken Franchise in the Sunshine State

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