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After a prolific 20-year NBA profession that additionally noticed him launch platinum-selling music and star in field workplace smash films, Shaquille O’Neal has turned his championship mentality and larger-than-life persona to his entrepreneurial portfolio. The basketball star’s in depth enterprise holdings embody Huge Hen, a fast-casual rooster idea that displays his love for daring flavors and massive parts.
The model has greater than 350 places in improvement throughout 19 states and two international locations and is even on 4 Carnival cruise ships. Huge Hen may also be present in arenas, airports and stadium venues.
Even because it has expanded, Huge Hen stays true to its household roots.
“It was my mom’s creation,” O’Neal says of the genesis of Huge Hen. “So, we introduced her [Lucille O’Neal] down, and he or she labored with the manager cooks on how the macaroni ought to style, how the rooster needs to be battered, and everyone was receptive to that.”
Lucille’s Mac N’ Cheese is now a well-liked menu merchandise, together with the namesake Huge Hen sandwiches, rooster “Dunks,” ice cream and extra.
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Main a champion crew
For O’Neal, the Huge Hen model’s success is not nearly earning money; it is about making a championship crew that fosters group and supplies memorable experiences for everybody concerned.
“While you’re raised by a drill sergeant and raised by self-discipline, you all the time drift, and also you all the time assault your goals,” O’Neal says.
When launching Huge Hen, O’Neal took a singular method to advertising and marketing by constructing the model in public.
He leveraged the facility of free promotion — and his already huge reputation — by means of the Huge Hen Shaq Present on Fb Watch and throughout his social media accounts. On Instagram alone, O’Neal entertains an viewers of greater than 35 million followers.
His philosophy is easy: You do not want a large price range to get the phrase out. Utilizing instruments like free social media accounts and grassroots advertising and marketing efforts, he confirmed how any model can acquire visibility with out breaking the financial institution.
“All it takes is as soon as,” he says, highlighting how helpful word-of-mouth advertising and marketing could be to Restaurant Influencers host Shawn Walchef of Cali BBQ Media.
O’Neal’s technique for connecting along with his on-line viewers mirrors this general ethos. The entrepreneur makes use of his platforms to entertain, encourage and inform individuals about his newest ventures. “Sixty p.c of my posts are to make you chuckle, 30% to encourage you and 10% to point out what I am concerned in,” he says.
This stability displays O’Neal’s bigger mission of bringing mild into individuals’s lives by means of meals or leisure. “I need to chuckle as a result of once you chuckle, it releases these endorphins within the face and helps you relieve stress,” he says. “I perceive that. I notice that. I need to make individuals chuckle.”
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Rising Huge Hen
Having already loved an unimaginable quantity of success in his profession, O’Neal understands the significance of selflessness and teamwork. His message to potential companions is evident: By becoming a member of Huge Hen, you are not simply opening a profitable restaurant. You are becoming a member of a profitable crew to create one thing actually particular.
Although it is comparatively new to the franchising house, Huge Hen is owned by a trio of business titans, together with O’Neal, Genuine Manufacturers Group and JRS Hospitality.
“I am not on this to grow to be a trillionaire,” O’Neal says, emphasizing the significance of collaboration and development. “I hope the individuals need to develop with us. They need to assist us win championships as a result of there is not any different idea like this.”
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