Shaquille O’Neal Owned Big Chicken to Openin Seattle’s New Climate Pledge Arena

Emerald City Gets First Bite of Big Chicken in a Sports and Entertainment Venue
Features Amazon’s Just Walk Out Technology and Amazon One

SEATTLE – Let’s get Kraken, Seattle!

The acclaimed restaurant concept, Shaquille O’Neal owned Big Chicken, recently announced its upcoming opening at Seattle’s brand-new Climate Pledge Arena. Home to the NHL’S Seattle Kraken, WNBA Seattle Storm and live music and entertainment, the arena is building a unique food and beverage program called the Climate Collective to create a delicious, innovative and sustainable culinary experience for guests. Set to officially launch later this month when the arena opens on Oct. 22 to a Coldplay concert, Big Chicken is at center court of the arena’s dynamic dining scene.

“We are thrilled to welcome Shaquille O’Neal to Climate Pledge Arena,” said Steve Mattson, general manager of Climate Pledge Arena. “He knows what makes a good arena and how to enhance the fan experience with food and fun. Big Chicken is a great addition to our amazing food program, and I look forward to guests enjoying Shaq’s first Seattle location at Climate Pledge Arena.”

Offerings at the new location include specialty crispy chicken sandwiches like The Kraken (Buffalo sauce, cream cheese and blue cheese), M.D.E. Chicken (Shaq Sauce, chicken breast and B&B Pickles) and Uncle Jerome (Nashville hot chicken, mayo and pickles), along with chicken tenders, an assortment of candies, sundries and packaged beverages. The new Big Chicken outlet will also be the first Fast Casual restaurant in the country to feature Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology and Amazon One. Through the innovative technology, guests can insert their credit card at the location’s entry gates or hover their palm over an Amazon One device before entering. As they shop, Just Walk Out technology determines what they take from Big Chicken, and the credit card they inserted or linked to their Amazon One ID will be charged for any items they take after leaving. 

“We’re continuing to push the envelope with Big Chicken and finding new ways to innovate our offering for fans. The use of Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology and Amazon One is just one way we’re making our product even more accessible,” said Josh Halpern, CEO of Big Chicken. “The Climate Pledge Arena location is an exciting development for our brand, and we’re privileged to partner with Delaware North to bring our restaurant with its exclusive Kraken sandwich to the city of Seattle.”

The Big Chicken location at Climate Pledge Arena will be operated by Delaware North. As one of the world’s leading food service companies, it manages hospitality services at nearly 50 sports and entertainment venues worldwide and serves millions of guests each year in the sports, travel hospitality, restaurant and catering, lodging, gaming and specialty retail industries.

“When we first met with the Big Chicken team, we were immediately impressed by their thoroughness and commitment to chef-driven quality,” said Jamie Obletz, president of Delaware North’s sports division. “The culinary team behind the scenes at Big Chicken is above and beyond industry standards, and we’re excited to continue exploring opportunities for growth with this group.”

In addition to the two Climate Pledge Arena locations, Big Chicken has locations open in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, the Carnival Cruise Ship Mardi Gras, and in Rochester, NY through a partnership with Ghost Kitchen Brands. With seven restaurants in the development pipeline including locations set to open in the UBS Arena in New York and the Moody Center in Austin, the brand’s current franchise growth plans also include key U.S. metropolitan markets and select countries.

Ideal franchisees are multi-unit operators who trust and understand the established system Big Chicken has in place and have the capital to open several units. Restaurant experience — whether traditional or not — is preferred, but not required. With significant interest from new owners, franchise investors will have the advantage to join a brand on the cusp of worldwide expansion.

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