Shaquille O’Neal’s fried chicken chain opens downtown State College location
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Shaq’s Big Chicken opens Feb. 5 at 480 East College Ave in State College.
- Franchise owners Sidhu family plan further Pennsylvania expansion to Allentown.
- First 34 Big Chicken Rewards sign-ups receive free food for a year at opening.
A year after plans were announced for Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken restaurant in downtown State College, the grand opening will take place Thursday.
Big Chicken, founded by NBA legend Shaq, will hold its grand opening from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at 480 E. College Ave., on the ground floor of the oLiv Hetzel high-rise. It’s the first commercial tenant to open in the 12-story, mixed-use building.
Entrepreneurs Harsimrat, Shubreet, Samarjit and Pukhraj Sidhu announced intentions to bring the chain to more areas of Pennsylvania back in October 2023, and the State College location was announced in March 2025.
“The Sidhu’s College Avenue location puts Big Chicken in the heart of a larger-than-life sports community and a campus culture that’s all about big energy, fandom and flavor,” Josh Halpern, CEO of Big Chicken said in a press release. “Harsimrat, Shubreet and their family have been incredible partners as we grow across Pennsylvania. ”
Big Chicken’s core menu includes a lineup of crispy or grilled chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders and wings, salads, crinkle-cut fries and mac and cheese and 10 different milkshakes and ice cream sundaes. The chain is said to combine O’Neal’s favorite childhood foods with trending flavors.
State College’s Big Chicken location will mark the company’s third in Pennsylvania, joining franchises in Philadelphia and Tannersville . Sixteen other states, plus some Carnival Cruise Line ships and Manchester, England, boast Big Chicken locations.
Big Chicken locations are coming soon to Allentown and Wilkes-Barre too, according to the press release.
“State College is the kind of place Big Chicken was made for,” Harsimrat Sidhu stated in the release. “There’s such a vibrant energy here, from game days to late nights on College Avenue — and we’re proud to bring a place where everyone can come together over great food and good times.”
Sidhu added that his mother, Pukhraj Kaur, “believed deeply” in the State College community, and was “instrumental” in choosing State College as a location for the chain.
As part of the grand opening, the first 34 guests in line who are, or sign up to become, Big Chicken Rewards members will receive free food from Shaq’s Big Chicken chains for a year (limited to $10 per week).
The State College Big Chicken location will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays, although those hours are expected to expand in the coming months.