This week’s shoutout goes to our partners at Big Chicken and the incredible team at Craveworthy Brands.
Big Chicken just opened its first unit in Central America in San Pedro Sula, Honduras and I understand the energy from the community and team has been nothing less than incredible.
One could of course say this is nothing more than just another international franchise deal (and for avoidance of any doubt, I’m not one of those people).
Many restaurant concepts work domestically but don’t travel well internationally. Opening in Central America signals that Big Chicken has reached an important milestone, the brand is now considered exportable. That means the company has replicable operating systems, standardized menus, supply chains, franchise economics that work outside the U.S., and partners willing to invest in territory development.
In restaurant franchising, international expansion is a validation event, and it signals the concept is no longer just a celebrity-driven novelty.
Big Chicken was founded by Shaquille O'Neal, one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. But such brands often face a big question, will this work as a restaurant brand and not just as a celebrity brand?
International franchise partners typically invest millions of dollars into development rights. When they do so, they’re betting on brand durability, menu appeal, and operational repeatability.
How is Dr. O’Neal playing this sport that is the restaurant industry? First, he surrounds himself with talent, and that’s where Managing Partner, Gregg Majewski, CEO, Josh Halpern, SVP of Franchise Leadership, Sam Stanovich, VP of Operations, Bobby Shaw and the talented Craveworthy team comes in.
Follow up with a powerful brand, keep the menu simple, use strong franchise partners to grow your territory, and run the Craveworthy playbook. Phil Jackson had his “triangle offense” and Gregg Majewski has his “playbook” (your playbook needs a nickname Mr. Majewski). 😊
Opening in Honduras signals that Big Chicken has entered a new phase of the game. Not just domestic growth, but international expansion. In the franchising world, that’s when the scoreboard really starts moving b/c once a concept proves it can travel internationally, the growth curve can go from dozens of units to hundreds.
When Branded got involved with Big Chicken, we were told / warned there’s a lot of competition out there in the market for chicken (like the burger and pizza market lacks competition?). But here’s something you need to understand about chicken; it’s one of the most portable restaurant categories on the planet. It crosses cultures, it adapts easily to local flavors, and it’s one of the few categories where global chains have proven you can scale to thousands of locations worldwide.
So Big Chicken entering Central America isn’t just geographic expansion, it’s strategic positioning. Celebrity restaurant brands often face the same question analysts ask about young basketball players: are they a highlight reel or a franchise player? (see what I did there with the word “franchise”?). 😊
Opening in Central America suggests franchise partners believe Big Chicken is the latter b/c international franchise operators don’t invest into a concept based on celebrity alone. They invest in systems, economics, and repeatability (The Craveworthy Playbook, still needs a nickname).
From the outside, it might look like Shaq is simply adding another business to his already impressive portfolio, but inside the industry, something else is happening here. He’s quietly building a global franchise system, and if Big Chicken keeps expanding internationally, Shaq might end up doing something very few athletes have ever done, turn a personal brand into a global restaurant franchise platform.
Big Chicken’s move into Central America also reflects a broader restaurant industry trend, that mid-size restaurant brands are globalizing earlier than ever. Historically, brands waited until they had hundreds of domestic locations before expanding internationally.
Today, franchise partners often push brands overseas much earlier.
Why is that? (great question)
B/c the global appetite for American restaurant brands remains enormous.
Of course, opening in San Pedro Sula doesn’t mean Big Chicken has “made it,” but it does mean something important. The brand is now playing an international game, and in franchising, once a concept proves it can travel, that’s when the real growth can begin.
One final comment here, Happy Birthday Shaq (March 6th, 1972)!
Let’s grow!
