---
title: "Shaquille O’Neal-Owned Big Chicken to Open Soon in Killeen"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/14e498a9-e37f-4a57-ae35-52383434f515
source: "Franchising.com"
original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20231109_shaquille_onealowned_big_chicken_to_open_soon_in_killeen.html
category: "Chicken"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Chicken"
topics: ["Development & multi-unit"]
published: 2023-11-09T12:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-10-31T20:29:23.330Z
image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1504674900247-0877df9cc836?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop
---

# Shaquille O’Neal-Owned Big Chicken to Open Soon in Killeen

**TL;DR:** Big Chicken, a fast-casual chicken restaurant owned by Shaquille O'Neal, is opening a new location in Killeen, Texas. The location is part of a three-unit deal to introduce the brand to Central Texas.

*originally published in Franchising.com on 2023-11-09. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20231109_shaquille_onealowned_big_chicken_to_open_soon_in_killeen.html).*

## Story

Big Chicken announced today the signed lease of its newest location in Killeen between Montague Village and Fort Cavazos.

Part of a three-unit deal to introduce the fast casual chicken restaurant to Central Texas, this will be the first location to open for accomplished entrepreneur Jace Mattinson. Big Chicken Killeen is expected to open in early 2024 at 2100 Clear Creek Road.

“From the moment the ink dried on our agreement with Big Chicken, we’ve been overwhelmed with excitement and anticipation around the opening of our first restaurant,” said Mattinson. “Everything's got a Texas-sized twist here, and Big Chicken's bold flavors, BIG portions and ability to captivate local communities are no exception. We're thrilled to introduce residents of Killeen to Shaquille's home-cooked favorites."

Mattinson is a seasoned franchise operator of Crumbl Cookies in Austin. Through his ownership, he has developed the experience and expertise critical to growing his portfolio with emerging fast casual concepts like Big Chicken. In addition to his background in the restaurant and franchise industries, Mattinson has also held executive financial roles with multiple big four accounting firms, giving him crucial insight into managing the backend of his Big Chicken businesses.

Big Chicken currently has locations open in Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Seattle; Houston; Gilbert, Arizona; Rosemont, Illinois and in the Dayton, Ohio region, as well as in metro-New York’s UBS Arena, The Comcast Center in Philadelphia, The Moody Center in Austin, ASU’s Mullett Arena, Palm Springs’ Acrisure Arena, St. Louis’s Busch Stadium, Kansas City International Airport and on three Carnival Cruise ships.

## Entities

- Franchising.com (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- unit expansion (topic)
- texas (location)
- fast casual (topic)
- texas expansion (topic)
- Big Chicken (company)
- Shaquille O'Neal (person)
- Crumbl Cookies (company)
- Killeen (location)

---
Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20231109_shaquille_onealowned_big_chicken_to_open_soon_in_killeen.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/14e498a9-e37f-4a57-ae35-52383434f515).