Shaq’s Big Chicken Opens in Downtown State College

A fast-casual restaurant chain founded by Shaquille O’Neal is ready to celebrate the grand opening of its new State College location.

After a soft opening in recent days, Big Chicken will hold a grand opening starting at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 5, at 480 E. College Ave., on the first floor of the oLiv Hetzel building.

The first 34 customers in line who are Big Chicken Rewards members, will receive $10 per week in free food from the restaurant for a year, according to a news release.

Big Chicken’s menu features a variety of sandwiches, such as the original with BC sauce and pickles; the Shaq Attack with barbecue sauce, pepper jack cheese and cole slaw; and the Ultimate, with BC sauce, mac and cheese and onion rings, among others. There’s also a selection of Shaq Snacks with grilled or crispy chicken tenders on garlic toast, as well tender plates with fries, cole slaw and Texas toast, and salads.

The chain is offering a lineup of limited-time dips, with Atomic Ranch available this month.

Sides include fries, onion rings, cheese curds, cole slaw and elote. For something sweet, Big Chicken has several milkshake options, ranging from chocolate and vanilla to salted caramel and peanut butter chip.

Siblings Harsimrat and Shubreet Sidhu, entrepreneurs with 12 years of experience in retail and restaurant operations, are the franchise owners for the State College Big Chicken location, with support from their father, Samarjit Sidhu, according to the company.

“This location holds special meaning for our family,” Harsimrat Sidhu said in a statement. “Our mother, Pukhraj Kaur, believed deeply in this community. She was instrumental in choosing State College and cultivating this partnership with Big Chicken. State College is the kind of place Big Chicken was made for – 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.”

State College joins more than 40 Big Chicken locations that have opened nationwide since the company’s founding in 2018. It’s one of three in the works in Pennsylvania, with restaurants slated for Allentown and Wilkes-Barre.

“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 statement. “Harsimrat, Shubreet and their family have been incredible partners as we grow across Pennsylvania. We’re having big fun building this together and share nothing but big love for this community.”

The State College location is currently open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. It will eventually expand to late-night hours, an employee said.

Big Chicken is one of three eateries expected to open in oLiv Hetzel. Sora Teriyaki & Sushi and Tikka Shack Indian Grub both signed leases last year for commercial space in the 12-story, mixed-use building that opened in 2024.