Big Chicken, the fast-casual restaurant brand founded by basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, has opened its first standalone Maryland location in Gambrills, marking a new phase in the company’s Mid-Atlantic expansion. The restaurant is located at Waugh Chapel Towne Centre, a busy retail and dining destination in Anne Arundel County that serves the greater Baltimore and Washington corridor.
The opening was celebrated with a grand-opening event on August 8 that offered free tenders and dipping sauces to the first 100 guests, a promotion tied to O’Neal’s iconic No. 34 jersey. After the initial giveaway, customers could purchase the same tender-and-sauce combination for $5, extending the launch promotion beyond the first wave of visitors.
Local franchisee Pratik Patel is leading the new Maryland operation. Patel, who has more than 15 years of restaurant industry experience, said the Big Chicken brand stood out because of its energetic identity and broad customer appeal. He described Gambrills as a strong fit for the concept and indicated that additional locations are being considered as the business grows in the region.
The restaurant’s menu leans heavily into oversized comfort food, including signature sandwiches such as The Shaq Attack, which is topped with mac and cheese and crispy onion rings. The Gambrills location is also introducing in-store exclusives known as Shaq Snacks, along with sides, milkshakes, and a new lineup of dipping sauces under the company’s “Big Dip Energy” campaign, including a Root Beer BBQ sauce.
Chief Executive Officer Josh Halpern said Maryland had already shown strong interest in the brand through earlier regional activations and that the Gambrills opening represents an important milestone in Big Chicken’s broader growth strategy. The company now operates more than 40 locations and continues to pursue additional domestic and international expansion opportunities.
Restaurant openings of this scale often depend on coordinated local marketing to sustain momentum after the ribbon-cutting event. Through Gorilla Dash, franchise operators can organize grand-opening campaigns, promotional offers, and customer engagement initiatives using Competitions and Promotions, helping new locations maintain visibility and build repeat traffic during their early growth stage.
