Opening Update: Shaquille O’Neal-Owned Big Chicken At Bridgewater Commons

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — The wait is over! Shaquille O’Neal-owned Big Chicken will open its first New Jersey location at The Village at Bridgewater Commons next week.

On July 18, Big Chicken will host a "BIG opening bash" where the first 34 fans in line will have the chance to vie for the ultimate opportunity – free Big Chicken food and drinks for a year, limited to $10 a week. (The number 34 is a nod to O’Neal’s iconic jersey number that was retired in 2012.)

"Both Adi and I have a passion for BIG flavors and from the first time we tried Big Chicken’s menu items, specifically Uncle Jerome’s Nashville Hot sandwich, we knew we had to be the group to introduce Shaquille’s childhood favorites to his home state," said Chad Patel, co-owner of the Big Chicken in Bridgewater. "Big Chicken has more to offer its guests than any other chicken competitor in Central Jersey. We’re confident that the fact that we have more than four types of sandwiches, eight signature sauces and are open seven days of the week will endear the brand to Bridgewater residents and beyond!"

Big Chicken fuses O’Neal’s home-cooked childhood favorites with today’s trending flavors, according to Big Chicken.

Offerings at the Bridgewater location will include The Original Big Chicken sandwich, Uncle Jerome’s Nashville Hot (Nashville Hot Chicken, lettuce, mayo and pickles), and The Ultimate (mac & cheese, crispy fried onions and roasted garlic BBQ aioli), along with the crispy crinkle cut fries and delicious ice cream milkshakes.

The opening of the Bridgewater location is among six Big Chicken restaurants business partners Adi and Chad Patel are planning to open throughout Central Jersey, including Middlesex, Mercer, Somerset, and Livingston counties.

"We’re so excited to welcome Newark native Shaquille O’Neal back home, in the tastiest possible way, and to partner with Adi and Chad Patel," said Troy Fischer, Senior General Manager at Bridgewater Commons. "Their choice to make Big Chicken’s Garden State debut at Bridgewater Commons is a testament to our efforts to create an extraordinary dining destination. We can’t wait to have them join one of the most vibrant restaurant communities in Central New Jersey."

To learn more about Big Chicken in Bridgewater, visit bigchicken.com/bridgewater-nj.

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